Red Hair and a Straw Hat
by Stelra Etnae
Summary: 30 one-shots written for the lj 30onepiece challenge! The focal character is Shanks, with cameo appearances from Roger, Rayleigh, Benn, Yasopp, Makino, Luffy and many more (some unexpected ones too)! Many of the entries feature Shanks' early years with the Roger Pirates, with the Red Hair Pirates making regular appearances as well.
1. The Morning Sun Will Rise

_**Written for 30_onepiece challenge. I selected Shanks as my claim! Yay!**_

_**The one-shots will mostly feature Shanks' experiences in those unseen years with the Roger Pirates and also the Red Hair Pirates, so expect to see regular appearances of Roger, Rayleigh, Buggy, Benn, Yasopp, etc.**_

_**This particular entry is set soon after the death of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger.**_

_**Enjoy, and do leave a review.**_

* * *

**The Morning Sun Will Rise**

**#8 Binks' Sake**

The pub in Loguetown was filled to the brim with customers that night. It was to be expected, as many people, pirates in particular, had flocked to the usually sleepy town to witness the biggest event of the century – the public execution of Gold Roger, the Pirate King. Everyone was making a fair bit of noise, so no one paid much attention to the figure slumped at the bar, a bottle of liquor in his hand.

"_Going to deliver Binks' Sake… Following the sea breeze… Riding on the waves…_" The young man sang drunkenly, and took another gulp from the bottle. Yet the usually upbeat song was utterly devoid of its customary cheer.

He demanded for another bottle, and then continued singing in that same depressing fashion between swigs.

"…_Waving our goodbyes, we'll never meet again!_" Shanks' voice cracked but he covered it with another vicious drink from the bottle.

"…_Doesn't matter who you are, Someday you'll just be bones. Never-Ending, Ever-wandering, Our funny Traveling tale!_" He snorted. "Never-ending, my foot."

"Stupid marines." He muttered wrathfully. The red-head cast an angry look around the room at the carefree crowd. "Stupid pirates." Disregarding that he was one himself. He took another gulp. "…Stupid captain." His fingers clenched painfully around the bottle. "Stupid captain, idiot captain, shitty captain… Just go to hell…" Then again, he was probably already there.

With that morbid thought, he drained the last bit of liquor from the bottle and slammed it down on the table.

"Barkeep! Another bottle!"

As the alcohol was dutifully placed in front of him, Shanks felt his anger seep away, leaving only numbing grief. With a groan, he buried his head in his arms, trying to keep the traitorous tears at bay. Sitting up again, he tipped back the new bottle, relishing the burn that went down his throat. The drop of moisture that rolled down his cheek was caused by the sting, he told himself fiercely.

"_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho… Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho…_"

* * *

"…_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho! Going to deliver Bink's Sake! …_"

Shanks had a wide grin on his face as he watched his crew make merry. The booze had been flowing without stop all night, and he had forgotten how many times they had repeated that song. He sensed someone coming to sit next to him.

"But if you just hold on, the morning sun will rise," His first mate quoted from the song. Benn was looking at him with an understanding smile. The older man had seen Shanks in some of his worst moments, and had watched as he struggled to climb out the depression caused by his captain's death.

Shanks raised his drink in toast and their tankards clinked together. He took a swig and grinned. "Yo-hohoho."

* * *

_**Hope that you enjoyed this first entry! Please review!**_


	2. Longing

_**Thank you to those of you who added this story to Favourites or Alert! Glad to know that you have interest in this collection! So, on to the next chapter!**_

_**This is the first installation of a short series of four connected one-shots.**_

_**I hope that you enjoy it!**_

_**Note: Shanks is about 10 years old here.**_

* * *

**Longing**

**#7 salt**

**Summary: On a little island in West Blue, a young boy dreams of sailing the seas.**

_Shanks had always loved the sea. _

Every day, he would go to the beach and spend hours there. Often, he would leap into the water for a swim. Sometimes, he would just sit on a cliff overlooking the sea and stare out at the blue waves, looking out at the ships that went by, dreaming of sailing on that endless mass of blue. Even on rainy days, he could be found by the sea, watching the turbulent sea crash mercilessly against the rock of the cliff. It was just so beautiful.

The salty smell of the sea would fill his senses, making him forget about the unpleasant odor of the alleys, the rotting smell that filled the area that he lived in. The sea allowed him to run away from reality. It was his constant companion in a world where he had no one.

One day, he arrived at his usual spot to see a ship docked a distance away. That was strange, for the town's jetty was on the other side of the island. The ship wasn't particularly large, but something drew Shanks to it. He inched closer, fascinated at the commotion that could be faintly heard as the crew bustled around the deck. Boisterous laughter reached Shanks, along with traces of exuberant singing.

A sudden gust of wind opened a flag to its full glory. A black flag, decorated boldly by a Jolly Roger. It was a pirate ship.

_Shanks loved the sea._

Yet for once his attention wasn't completely caught by the sea, beautiful as it was. More than once, he found his gaze unconsciously straying towards the pirate ship. The pirates didn't notice the young boy who stared so hungrily out at the sea, and equally longingly at the ship that he knew would be able to bring him closer to it. Even if they did, they paid no attention to him. Except for one.

A black-haired man, his face half shielded from the afternoon sun by a straw hat, had turned in his direction. The rim of the hat was tilted up by one hand, and despite the distance, Shanks could have sworn that their eyes met.

Startled at being discovered, the boy's eyes widened. Quickly he scrambled back into the cover of the forest, running back towards the town.

Behind him, the waves crashed against the beach, and the salty tang of the sea breeze followed him for longer than it logically should. He could still smell the salt, as if the sea was calling him into her embrace.

He wanted to throw himself into that salt-filled embrace.

_Shanks would always love the sea._

* * *

**_Stay tuned for the next installation! Roger meets Shanks for the first time!_**

**_Please review!_**


	3. Existence

_**Thank you for all your reviews, Favourites and Alerts! To new readers, welcome!**_

_**Part 2 of a series of four connected one-shots.**_

_**Hope that you like it!**_

* * *

**Existence**

**#10 invisible**

**Summary: "Hey, kid, do you love the sea?"**

For as long as he could remember, he had been invisible. Oh, not literally. But for all the notice the occupants of the town gave him, he may as well be completely unseen. To the villagers going about their daily business, he was just another one of those homeless kids who littered the streets. His red hair drew notice for its vibrant color, definitely, but even that was soon forgotten. No one knew his name, no one cared that he existed.

Sometimes, in his more morbid moments, he wondered if he would die invisible as well.

With practiced ease, Shanks sneaked into the bakery, hiding behind customers so that the baker wouldn't notice him. His mouth watered as he inhaled the smell of freshly-baked bread. His gaze landed on a small loaf on one of the lower shelves, and he discreetly inched towards it. Just as his hand curled around the piece of bread, the baker noticed him.

"HEY, YOU!"

He snatched up the loaf and made a dash for it.

"Stop!" the baker yelled, charging around the counter and heading towards him, his face full of anger. But Shanks moved much faster, already half-way out of the door by the time the baker started his chase. He had almost managed to disappear into the crowd when he crashed straight into a solid figure walking into the bakery. With a startled yelp, Shanks fell painfully to the floor when the figure – or was it a brick wall – didn't budge an inch.

"I've got you now, dirty brat-" Shanks flinched as the baker caught up and reached out a hand to hit him. He desperately scrambled to his feet, planning to make a run for it.

"Wait a moment." A smooth voice interrupted and made the baker pause. Caught by surprise, Shanks also froze in his flight. Wide eyes watched as the black-haired man took out a coin-bag from a large pocket. A light jingle of coins could be heard as the man extracted some coins and held them out to the baker. "This should be enough to cover the cost of the bread, right?"

The baker was understandably confused. "Yes, sir. In fact it's more than enough. But this urchin is surely below your no-"

The man cut over the baker's words as if he hadn't heard anything of the last sentence. "Alright, then, I'm sure you have more important work to do than stand here talking, my good man. Off with you now."

Bemused but sensing that he had been dismissed, the baker decided to let the issue go and went back to serving his other customers.

The man squatted down in front of a still dazed Shanks and the boy was greeted by a huge grin beneath a black mustache. The shade provided by a straw hat did nothing to stop the sun's rays from reflecting off those white teeth.

"Hey, kid, do you love the sea?"

Suddenly, he wasn't invisible anymore.

* * *

**_Please review!_**


	4. Acceptance

_**The third installation of the "Shanks joins Roger Pirates" short series!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Acceptance**

**#20 bath**

**Summary: "Isn't he cute?" Roger said with a grin. Rayleigh resisted the urge to massage his temples.**

"Roger." The man with blond hair managed to say with thinly veiled annoyance after a brief moment of stunned silence. "What is the meaning of this?"

By "this", he meant Shanks. The boy resisted the urge to hide behind the black-haired captain, instead opting to solidly meet the gaze of the irate man.

"Our new cabin boy! His name is Shanks! Isn't he cute?" Shanks could hear practically hear the grin in the captain's voice, even though he couldn't see the man's face from his angle. While he rather objected to being described as "cute" (He was a boy, after all), he decided to keep silent for now.

The other man sighed and pinched his nose tiredly. "Nothing I say will change your mind, will it? Do what you like, then."

Shanks could picture Roger's grin growing wider.

"I'll leave him in your capable hands, then, Rayleigh!"

Silvers Rayleigh almost spluttered as his captain sauntered off without a care in the world. The nerve of the man! He sighed and massaged his temples before turning to face the newest addition to their crew.

He let his irritated gaze sweep over the boy, noting the dirt and who knows what else that fairly caked the small frame. Rayleigh shrewdly noted the spirit in the little boy's eyes as he glared right back at him. There was potential there, probably what had prompted Roger to recruit the child. But that didn't mean that Rayleigh approved of the boy. Not by a long shot. There were some things to be remedied first, starting with the boy's appearance.

"Bath."

Shanks' eyes widened in outrage. "I'm not taking a bath, shitty old man!"

Rayleigh raised an eyebrow at the language. The child's attitude towards his elders was another point that needed to be fixed. But that was for a later date. "Bath, or off the ship."

Shanks' mouth snapped shut. He huffily crossed his arms over his chest, looking sullen.

"Make your choice, boy."

Silence.

Rayleigh raised an eyebrow at the boy. Shanks glared back.

Without any warning, Rayleigh picked up the boy by the scruff of his shirt and tossed him overboard into the water. He leaned against railing to watch as the boy's head broke through the surface of the water. So the boy could swim. Good. It would have been such a hassle to have to go save him from drowning.

"What the hell, old man!?" the boy yelled, spitting out a mouthful of salt water.

Rayleigh kept his face neutral. "You're the one who wanted to do it the hard way. If you want to come back onboard, wash off all that dirt first."

Shanks considered going against that order, but something told him that Rayleigh would show no hesitation in throwing him off the ship again if he just tried to get on again.

With a grumble, Shanks waded to a shallower area and started to scrub viciously at his arms.

When the dripping boy stomped onboard again, Rayleigh noted with amusement that the boy's hair was actually a much brighter shade of red that he had previously thought. That just went to show how much dirt had been on the boy. He threw a large towel over the boy's head. Large childish eyes glared out at him from beneath the mass of fabric and Rayleigh suppressed a smirk.

"Dry yourself properly, you can't go dripping all over the ship. I'll show you where you'll be sleeping tonight."

Rayleigh started to walk towards the living quarters but soon noted that the boy wasn't following him. Turning, he saw Shanks rooted the spot, still smothered by the large towel, looking as if he couldn't quite believe that he had been accepted and was now part of the crew.

"Hey, kid."

Startled out of his daze, Shanks quickly scrambled towards Rayleigh.

Instead of walking away, Rayleigh waited until the boy had come closer to place a gentle hand on Shanks' head. The boy looked up at him in surprise.

Rayleigh allowed a reassuring smile to surface as he ruffled that damp red hair.

"Welcome to the crew, Shanks."

* * *

**_Please review!_**


	5. Respect

_**Last part of the series of four one-shots about how Shanks joined the Roger Pirates! But don't worry, you haven't seen the last of Roger and Rayleigh yet! Not even close!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Respect**

**#15 Etiquette**

**Summary: Through Luffy, we found out that Rayleigh is a fantastic teacher. Thing is, Luffy wasn't his first pupil.**

The little boy huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest, glaring at Rayleigh mutinously through shaggy strands of red hair. Silvers Rayleigh resisted the urge to childishly do the same.

"If you always treat people the way you do now, someone is going to snap and kill you one day."

The glare intensified. "Just let them try! I'll beat them up!"

Rayleigh sighed and counted slowly from one to ten, not wanting to blow up at the child. "Violence is not the solution to everything."

"You nag like an old woman, idiot geezer." Shanks stuck his tongue out at Rayleigh.

That did it. Screw his own advice. Rayleigh cracked his knuckles menacingly. "Looks like words are useless. Come at me, I'll beat some manners into you, boy."

The red-haired boy looked at him warily, conscious of the man's change in mood. But no one had ever faulted Shanks for lacking courage, so it was to be expected that he eventually decided to make the first move by rushing up to Rayleigh and aiming a sharp kick at his thigh.

Rayleigh noted that the boy's kick was executed well and would have left a good bruise or more on a regular man, but a child was a child and he was Silvers Rayleigh, first mate of the notorious Roger Pirates. The kid didn't stand a chance. He batted the boy away with hardly any effort at all, causing the boy to land with a painful thud on the wooden deck.

To the boy's credit, he didn't make a sound even though it must have hurt, but instead immediately got up and charged at the older man again.

A few minutes later, Rayleigh picked the now very scruffy-looking boy up by the back of his shirt. He noted the pained tears threatening to slip from the boy's eyes and the fierce scowl on the boy's face as he refused to let the droplets fall, and suppressed a smirk. Roger had been right, as he always was when choosing new members of the crew. This boy had spirit and would doubtlessly become a fine pirate when he grew up. But before then, there was still a matter to be settled.

"So, am I clear? As long as you are on this ship, you are to treat me and everyone in the crew with proper respect. That includes listening to what I tell you to do without complaint. Understand?"

"Yes," the answer was muttered with a great deal of wrath.

"What was that? Speak louder."

"I said yes, shitty old man! You deaf!?"

Rayleigh raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, yes, Master Rayleigh," the boy said sullenly.

"I'm glad that we have an agreement." Rayleigh unceremoniously let the boy fall back onto the deck. "Go back to your duties now."

He couldn't help but grin at the resentful grumbles that followed as the young red head.

Now the next thing on his list would be to teach the child some proper swordplay. There was potential there, and Rayleigh was going to make sure that he reaches it.

* * *

Shanks' smile was threatening to break his face into two. "And he said that he'll become the strongest pirate in the world, Master Rayleigh! Isn't that just like the captain?"

Rayleigh smiled as the boy (he would always be a boy to Rayleigh, no matter how many years passed) excitedly prattled on. It seemed as if Shanks couldn't run out of stories about the little boy he had met in East Blue. Rayleigh rather looked forward to meeting the boy, though by the sounds of it, it wouldn't be for many more years. Still, listening to the red head's tales brought back memories. It seemed like yesterday when he was still first mate of the Pirate King, sailing the seas on the Oro Jackson. But now the cheeky little cabin boy was a captain in this own right, and already becoming an inspiration to the younger generation.

Benn Beckman entered the bar, cutting off Shanks' recounting of Luffy's insanity and spunk. "Captain, we're ready to set sail."

Shanks nodded and rose. "Got it." He turned to Rayleigh and gave a slight bow. "I'll be going, then, Master Rayleigh. Bye, Shakky! Thanks for everything!" With a wave, he was gone.

After the former apprentice had left, Rayleigh took a sip of his drink and chuckled softly.

Shakky looked at him with a smile. "Old memories?"

Rayleigh smirked. "Just thinking about a little boy very much like the one in the story. They really do grow up so fast."

* * *

_**I personally believe that Roger and Rayleigh play a very big part in shaping Shanks into the man he is now. I can totally picture Roger as the fun, crazy dad and Rayleigh as the responsible, stern father figure. Shanks' childhood must have been interesting, haha.**_

_**I hope that you enjoyed my take on how Shanks ended up joining the Roger Pirates. Stay tuned for more Roger Pirates drabbles and others!**_

_**Please review!**_


	6. His Dream

_**Time-skip to the beginnings of the Red Hair Pirates!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**His Dream**

**#13 wedding**

**Summary: Yasopp loved his wife and son from the depths of his heart. But that same heart also loved the sea. **

"Hey, Shanks."

Shanks tilted the straw hat back to see more clearly from where he was sprawled lazily on the deck and caught the envelope that Benn had tossed at him.

"Hmm?" He held it up curiously. "What's this?"

Benn shrugged. "It arrived with the newspaper through the post."

Turning it over, he realized that a name was scrawled over the front of the envelope. The letter was addressed to 'Red Haired Shanks'. Shanks grinned in remembrance of his recently acquired bounty and epithet. It explained somewhat how the letter had found him (not completely, of course, he wouldn't presume to understand how the postal service worked) but there was still the question of what the letter was for.

Extremely curious now, Shanks ripped open the envelope to reveal the prettily decorated card within. His eyes scanned over the cover and contents before he erupted with a laugh.

"Dahahahaha!" He sat up and waved the card at his crew excitedly. "Change course for East Blue, men! An old friend's getting married and we're invited!"

* * *

The wedding was a beautiful affair. Shanks was glad that they had arrived in time for the event. Between the time that it had taken for the invitation to reach the ship and the bad weather that they had encountered on the way, they had almost been late. Yet seeing the happy couple was well worth the trouble.

As the ceremony ended and the crowd surged forward to congratulate the newlyweds, the Red Hair Pirates hung back. Benn glanced at Shanks with a serious expression. "You realize what this probably means, don't you?"

Shanks sighed. "It's regretful, but he has the right to make his own choices. We're in no place to say otherwise."

Benn smiled approvingly and watched as Shanks squeezed through the press of people towards the couple.

"Yasopp!" Shanks grinned widely and clasped the blond man's hand with a firm grasp. He began to pump it up and down enthusiastically. "Congratulations!"

Yasopp's eyes widened. "Shanks! You came!"

"Of course! I wouldn't miss this for the world! You invited me, after all. Introduce me to your wife, will you?"

Yasopp grinned widely and drew his bride to his side. She was a pretty dark-haired woman with a sweet smile. However, under that gentle demeanor, Shanks could see the strength of spirit that shone in her eyes. Yasopp had chosen well.

"This is my wife, Banchina."

Shanks bowed politely in greeting. "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I'm Shanks."

Banchina's eyes widened in recognition. Shanks wondered briefly if it bothered her that he was a pirate. Yet he saw that the emotions that passed through her face were not fear and disgust. Unexpected, determination lit up her dark eyes as she met Shanks' gaze unflinchingly. The pirate was intrigued.

"Five years," the lady said suddenly.

Shanks blinked in confusion, uncomprehending.

"Come back in five years and he'll go with you."

"Banchina!" Yasopp protested, rather panicked.

Banchina was firm. "It has been his dream since young to sail the seas. I don't want to be the one who ties him to land. You offered him a place in your crew a few years ago, didn't you? Does the offer still stand?"

"If he wishes it."

"Give us five years together. After that, please take him with you."

Shanks understood and respected her for her intentions. "Then I give you my word that I will return in five years, ma'am."

Banchina smiled and took Shanks' hands in both of hers. "Thank you. Please call me Banchina. You're my husband's friend and therefore mine as well. Feel free to join in the festivities with your crew. Today, you are our guests."

Shanks squeezed her hands lightly and let go. "Thank you, Banchina."

As he watched the couple move away to mingle with the guests, he grinned and started back towards his crew. "That's an amazing woman you got there, Yasopp. You're lucky to have her." He tipped his straw hat lower over his eyes. "I'll see you in five years, then."

* * *

Four year-old Usopp burst into the house, shouting in excitement. "Papa, Mama! Pirate ship! There's a pirate ship!"

Yasopp and Banchina looked at each other wordlessly. Yasopp opened his mouth to speak but Banchina silenced him with a finger against his lips. He took her hand in his and kissed it tenderly. Tears shimmered in his eyes, mirrored in hers. Her free hand reached up to caress the side of his face.

"Go. Chase your dreams."

The day after their fifth wedding anniversary, Yasopp set sail.

* * *

_**It hasn't been revealed how Yasopp actually joined the Red Hair Pirates, though it has been shown that Shanks first extended an invitation to join the crew to Yasopp two years after Roger's death, which would have been before Usopp was born. Hope you like my version of the situation!**_

_**Please review!**_


	7. To Sky Island

_**This one-shot is set during the time that Shanks sailed with the Roger Pirates.**_

_**Hope that you enjoy reading it!**_

* * *

**To Sky Island**

**#4 wings**

**Summary: ****The fact that one island was in the sky wasn't about to stop the Roger Pirates from conquering Grand Line.**

"Turkey!"

Shanks sweatdropped at his captain's outburst. The Roger Pirates were returning from a day out in Jaya so that their shipwright could do some adjustments to the ship. But then his gaze fell on the ship and he understood the reason behind the exclamation. It really did look like a turkey.

"Master Rayleigh… Why does the ship have wings?"

"It's so that we can reach our next destination – a sky island."

Shanks' eyes widened. A sky island!? So they really existed? A hand on his head made him turn up to look at his captain's enormous grin.

"We're going to fly, Shanks." Ruffling the boy's red hair affectionately, Roger strode forward to stand at the gangplank of the ship. "Come, men! To the sky island! We'll sail all the seas, no matter where they are!"

The Roger Pirates roared in approval.

* * *

"AAAAAAHHHHHH! WE'RE GOING TO DIIIIEEEEE!" Buggy wailed as he clung to the ship's mast.

In contrast to his panicking crewmate, Shanks excitedly ran to the railing and stared in fascination at the huge whirlpool their ship was being sucked into. On the raised platform, Captain Roger was laughing uproariously. The sky had turned pitch black and they were moving closer and closer to the center.

Abruptly, the sea stopped moving.

"Eh?" Buggy paused in his frantic screams. "Are we saved?"

"Everything is going exactly to plan!" Shanks heard the navigator yell. "Prepare yourselves! We're hitting the knock-up stream!"

Buggy gave a wail and clung tighter to the mast.

Shanks grabbed hold of the railing as the ship shot upwards, propelled by an amazing jet of water. Stunned, he gaped as the ship began to sail vertically along the huge stream of seawater. "Amazing…" he breathed.

Over the sound of rushing water and wind, he could faintly hear his captain's exhilarated laughter. He grinned. This was an adventure like no other!

Shanks glanced at the figure plastered unmoving against the sturdy mast. The other boy had tears streaming down his face. "You okay, Buggy?"

"Shut up, you flashy bastard!"

Yup, he was fine.

"This is bad! We're leaving the stream! Quick, open up the sails!" A yell came from the navigator and Shanks hurried to help the rest of the crew.

"We're flying!" Someone cried out. "The ship's flying in the sky!"

Shanks scrambled towards the railing to see the sight, but almost slipped on the wet deck. A strong arm steadied him.

"Captain!"

Roger's grin behind his moustache was blinding.

His voice rose above the roaring sound of water. "We'll conquer the seas and the skies! Nothing can stand in our way! Isn't that right, men!?"

The Roger Pirates punched their fists into the air. "Yes, captain!"

Spurred on by the excited yell, the ship shot through the black cloud, towards the sky island and new adventure.

* * *

**_Please review!_**


	8. Thank You

**Thank You**

**#16 darkness**

**Summary: A pirate and a Marine, linked by their common love for a little boy with a big dream.**

Nothing more than the faint creak of the door signaled that someone had entered the room.

The footsteps were light, almost soundless. For all his size and advanced age, the other man could be downright stealthy when he wanted to, a skill honed through years of experience.

That experience also allowed the newcomer to know perfectly well that Shanks was awake. But he didn't say a word, opting to merely settle into a chair by the bedside.

Shanks didn't open his eyes. Even if he did, he probably wouldn't be able to see anything in the darkness of the room. But he knew exactly who had entered the room.

He shouldn't be here. In normal circumstances, Shanks wouldn't be confined to the bed, under strict orders from the doctor to keep well away from strenuous activity.

_He_ shouldn't be here. The Marines would probably throw a fit if they knew that he was visiting a pirate. Sengoku would have apoplexy, no doubt about it.

They shouldn't be here. It went against all reason that they would be in the same room in this manner, not fighting, not trading insults. Circumstances had brought them together, circumstances that involved one little boy with one huge dream.

Silence reigned in the room. Neither man spoke, nor even made any more to acknowledge the other's presence. Yet there was a kind of wordless understanding, of the reasons that had brought each of them to this room.

The older man expelled a long sigh. It broke the silence, as did the words that he uttered next.

"Thank you."

Shanks didn't respond, still pretending to be asleep. Garp said no more, still pretending that he believed Shanks was asleep. Both did that, because it was better that way. Because that was all that needed to be said.

Shanks knew how much it was paining the Marine to have to thank a pirate. So he didn't say anything, didn't rub salt into the wound. Under different circumstances, he may have teased the Marine a bit, but not this time. This time, the gratitude was heartfelt, and Shanks would accept it as it was.

Rising from his seat, Garp left the room as silently as he had entered.

As he left, he passed Benn Beckman, who was leaning against the wall next to the door to his captain's room. In the semi-darkness, Garp gave him a curt nod, a symbol of the temporary truce that would prevent Garp from interfering in their departure from Fuusha Village.

Because although Shanks was a pirate and Garp was a Marine, they shared a common love for a tiny boy with a huge dream. Because Shanks had protected Garp's precious grandson, and that was worth more than any form of justice. Because for all that light represented righteousness, sometimes one had to walk in the darkness to do the right thing.

* * *

**_Please review!_**


	9. The Day After

**_It's 21.12.2012, and the world hasn't ended yet. I say that is just cause for celebration. Here's a short ficlet to commemorate, with a rather ironic subject matter..._**

* * *

**The Day After**

**#22 zombies**

**Summary: The zombie apocalypse has arrived.**

It was the apocalypse.

On a ship, a crew of zombies emerged from below deck, their feet dragging leadenly along the wooden floor. Their hair hung lank and damp over pallid faces and bloodshot eyes.

Their leader was particular grotesque, with blood red hair that did nothing to hide the three terrible scars over one eye. An observant onlooker would be able to detect that one of the sleeves of his stained white shirt was empty, fluttering lifelessly in the wind.

With a dreadful moan, the captain inched forward laboriously and promptly draped himself over the only human on the ship, who was standing at the center of the deck. The person's bravery was to be commended, for he made no move to escape from the clutches of that hellish creature.

The zombie leader, dangerously close to the human's unprotected right arm, opened his mouth.

"Benn… I need more sake…"

Shanks was completely ignored. Benn Beckman stoically continued to issue commands to the groaning crew.

"Benn…" His captain whined.

"Go take some hangover medicine."

"I don't wanna." Shanks pouted like a child. "It's bitter."

Benn shrugged. "Not my problem."

"Meanie."

* * *

**_Please review!_**


	10. Tomayto, Tomahto

_**Another flashback to the early Roger Pirates!**_

* * *

**Tomayto, Tomahto**

**#26 garden**

**Summary: In Shanks' defence, Buggy shouldn't have been hiding in a bush.**

"Shanks, don't wander off!" his captain called as the boy lagged behind the group of pirates heading for town.

"Okay!" Shanks responded distractedly, his eyes drawn to the round fruit growing from a bush. The plant was fairly large, bare except for the single tomato half hidden by the mass of leaves. Hmm, perhaps it wasn't exactly a tomato, for Shanks was quite sure that the bush was not a tomato plant. But either way, the fruit was large and red, and looked absolutely delicious. Without thinking further, he reached out a hand to pluck it.

A loud yelp originating from the fruit made Shanks jump a foot in the air.

"Wha-?" He gaped as the bush came alive, rustling menacingly. "Gah!" Shanks backed away hurriedly as two angry eyes appeared above the red fruit. Was the bush a monster plant that lured unsuspecting travelers near using its fruit and attacked them!? What if it was carnivorous!? Shanks opened his mouth to call for help but his voice died in his throat when a figure burst out of the bush.

"What was that for, you flashy bastard! I'll flashily kill you!"

Shanks stared at the blue-haired boy who had emerged from the bush in utter astonishment. Oh. So the eyes hadn't belonged to the bush, after all.

"Can't you flashily talk, bastard!?"

Relieved as he was that he wasn't about to be eaten by a carnivorous plant, there was still a matter that drew his attention more than the curses that the other boy was spewing.

"Your nose is really red," Shanks commented bluntly.

The other boy seemed to puff up with sheer indignation. "Who are you calling a big red round nose, you flashy bastard!? And you have no right to comment, your flashy red hair looks flashily ridiculous."

"Not as ridiculous as your nose."

"Flashy red-head."

"Tomato nose."

The two boys glared daggers at each other.

A loud laugh distracted them from their glaring match.

"What do you have here? You found a friend, Shanks?"

Shanks turned, surprised. "Captain!"

Roger patted Shanks' head in passing then bent down to look the other boy in the eye.

"Want to be a pirate, kid?"

"What are you doing, Roger?" an exasperated voice cut in from behind.

Roger turned and grinned at his first-mate. "Recruiting a new cabin-boy, Rayleigh! It would be nice for Shanks to have someone his age on the ship."

Rayleigh just sighed.

Grin still intact, Roger turned back to the stunned boy. "So? Want to join my crew, kid?"

The confused expression shifted into one of outrage. "Who are you flashily calling a pint-sized kid with a too large nose!?"

Shanks kicked the other boy in the shin. "Don't talk to the captain like that!"

Roger just laughed. "This boy is interesting. Alright, you're now part of crew! What's your name?"

"…Buggy." The boy was obviously overwhelmed by the cheerful pirate captain.

"Let's go then, Buggy, Shanks! Rayleigh, if you just stand there and sigh, you're going to be left behind!"

As Buggy confusedly followed the crazy black-haired man, the grumbling blond-haired man and the irritating red-haired boy, one thought floated to the forefront of his mind. "What in the flashy world just happened?"

"You'll get used to it after a while," Shanks said helpfully.

Buggy glared at him. "I haven't forgiven you yet, flashy bastard!"

Shanks just laughed and walked on.

Buggy gaped at their retreating backs. They were crazy, all of them. And he was probably just as crazy for following them.

* * *

_**Please review!**_


	11. Undercover

_**A cheerful story to kick start the new year! Happy New Year, everyone!**_

_**Another Roger Pirates one-shot, this time on a rather less travelled part of the seas...**_

* * *

**Undercover**

**#18 cute**

**Summary: Gol D. Roger had done many crazy things in his lifetime, but this simply topped it all.**

"Don't worry, Shanks, you look really cute."

Shanks just glared at the snickering crewmate who had said that. The rest of the crew was similarly failing to hold back their mirth.

The cabin boy folded his hands huffily over his chest. But that unfortunately only served to draw the crew's attention to the frilly top of the outfit he was wearing, which naturally sent them off into renewed peals of laughter.

"Alright, we're all set to go!" Roger burst out of the captain's quarters. Dead silence followed his proclamation. The crew gaped at their captain disbelievingly.

And then…

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Rayleigh doubled over, slapping his knee in his mirth. That sent the crew off again, the entire ship echoing with their laughter. Even Shanks, despite his annoyed mood, had to clap a hand over his mouth to stop a laugh from leaving his lips.

Roger took this in good part for a while, but when the crew didn't seem to plan to stop laughter any time soon, he raised his voice. "Hey, have a little more respect for your captain here!"

The laughter obligingly died down, but the crew notably didn't look particularly contrite.

Scopper Gaban wiped tears from his eyes. "Sorry, captain, but this is just too priceless."

Roger rolled his eyes. "Are you all going to stand there gawking all day? Go prepare the boat!" As the men scrambled to work, Roger cast his gaze around. Not finding his target, he called out, "Shanks!"

"Here, captain," the boy responded gloomily from behind him.

Roger spun around and a huge grin split his face. Stars appeared in his eyes. "So cute!" he exclaimed, hugging the boy.

Shanks squirmed uncomfortably in his captain's arms, unhappy at being called "cute" for the second time that morning. It was an adjective that he tended to avoid in normal circumstances. Several crew members hanging around nearby snickered. He glared at them over Roger's shoulder.

"The boat's ready, captain!" A crewmate yelled.

"Great! Let's go, Shanks!" Roger let go of the boy and led the way to the side of the ship where the boat that would allow them to go to shore had been prepared.

"Here's the list of supplies needed, captain," the cook handed Roger a piece of paper. The captain nodded and made to tuck it away safely in a pocket, only to find that his current outfit had no pockets. He nonchalantly dropped it into the square neckline of his top. To his delight it stayed within easy reach, kept up by the rolls of cloth stuffed down the front. Seeing this, Crocus snorted and Roger looked back at him innocently, amidst muted laughter from the rest of the crew.

"Spin a bit, captain!" someone called. Roger sportingly did a twirl which spread out the soft folds of his clothing. The crew cheered and clapped. Roger took a bow.

"Try to keep the captain away from trouble," Rayleigh reminded Shanks. Shanks sent him an incredulous look that read, 'Is that even possible?' to which the first mate sighed and amended his request to "Try to keep him away from _too much_ trouble."

"Come on, Shanks!" Roger called impatiently, eager to be off. The boy hurried to join his captain.

Soon, the two were securely in the boat headed for the island. Shanks looked warily out at the unnaturally still sea as they rowed.

An enormous Sea King reared out without warning. Shanks gave a startled shout but Roger was unfazed. The Sea King bared its teeth to attack the boat but then suddenly froze. Shanks saw fear light up in the creature's eyes and a moment later, it turned tail and fled.

"You alright there, Shanks?" Roger asked cheerfully, as if they hadn't almost been attacked by a giant Sea King.

"I'm fine." He tilted his head back to look at Roger. "When are you going to teach me that, captain?"

Roger looked thoughtful. "How about once we get back to Grand Line?

Shanks smiled widely for the first time that day. "Awesome!"

The boat finally reached the beach and came to a stop in the soft sand. Roger leapt out, pulling up the extra fabric of his outfit upwards to keep the hem from getting wet. Shanks clambered out after him.

"You ready?" Roger asked with a grin. Shanks made a noncommittal noise that Roger apparently took as an affirmative as the older man immediately set off further inland.

Sailing an armed ship on the Calm Belt was dangerous. Taking a tiny rowboat to reach an island on the Calm Belt was borderline suicidal. But what they were doing was absolutely, completely, inarguably insane.

Shanks tugged uncomfortably at the hem of his knee-length lace dress (where in the world had the crew managed to get hold of one on such short notice anyway?), sighed and followed his captain into Amazon Lily.

But then again, the Roger Pirates had never been normal.

* * *

**_Haha, poor Shanks! Did you guess what they were up to before the end?_**

**_Please review!_**


	12. They Weren't Fated to Meet

_**Just to let you know, updates after this will probably be slower, because school is starting again tomorrow. But don't worry, I'm not about to give up on this. :)**_

_**Here's a chapter!**_

* * *

**They Weren't Fated to Meet**

**#1 ghost**

**Summary: As they sailed on the foggy waters, he could faintly hear the sound of someone singing.**

Shanks stared out at the fog that shrouded the surrounding area. It was eerie, to say the least, not being able to see anything around them.

"Hey…" Shanks tilted his head to one side. "Do you hear something?"

Next to him, Buggy was shaking violently. "I-idiot! There's flashily nothing out there!"

Shanks ignored his fellow cabin boy, leaning slightly over the railing in an attempt to hear the noise he had detected clearer. His brow wrinkled in confusion. "It sounds like singing."

_Going to deliver Binks' Sake!_

_Today, and tomorrow, our dreams through the night!_

_Waving our goodbyes, we'll never meet again!_

_But don't look so down, For at night the moon will rise!_

The song sounded like it was coming from far away, almost undistinguishable over the swishing sound of the waves. Was another ship also sailing on these foggy waters? It was impossible to tell. Yet strangely, it sounded as if only one person was singing, rather than a whole crew. When the Roger Pirates sang, everyone would cheerily join. So why was there only one voice singing?

"You don't think it could be a flashy g-ghost, could it?"

Shanks shrugged and grinned mischievously at his fellow cabin boy. "Why not?" he said teasingly.

Buggy squeaked, cursed at him and then ran for the safety of the living quarters below deck. Shanks continued to stare out at the fog for a while before leaving the railing as well. He was getting hungry, which meant it was nearing midday. It was hard to tell with the heavy fog enclosing the area.

_Going to deliver Binks' Sake!_

_Let's all sing it with a Don! A song of the waves_

_Doesn't matter who you are, Someday you'll just be bones_

_Never-Ending, Ever-wandering, Our funny Traveling tale!_

Heading for the galley, Shanks encountered their ship's resident doctor. He decided to voice out the question that had been nagging at him ever since Buggy had broached the subject.

"Say, Crocus-san, do ghosts exist?"

The doctor looked thoughtful. "I have never seen a ghost before myself, but we've seen stranger things on the Grand Line, so I would say it is very possible. Why do you ask?"

Shanks glanced out at the fog. The singing couldn't be heard any more. He shook his head. "No particular reason. Just curious."

Just out of range, also sailing on the foggy waters of the Florian Triangle, a walking skeleton sang Binks' Sake all alone on a big, empty ship.

_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,_

_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,_

_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,_

_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho…_

* * *

**_This is the second time I used Binks' Sake in a depressing way. I apologize for exploiting the song like that, but it just fit. XD I hope that you like the chapter anyway!_**

**_Please review!_**


	13. There Was No More

_**I've written about how Shanks joined the Roger Pirates, and now I present my take on the disbanding of the Roger Pirates.**_

_**Hope that you like it!**_

* * *

**There Was No More**

**#5 music**

**Summary: For as long as he could remember, music had filled the Oro Jackson. Now, it had fallen silent. Too silent.**

Shanks stared around at the unnaturally empty deck of the Oro Jackson and wished that the music would start again. He wanted the loud boisterous singing of the crew to tell him that the events of the past few days had been nothing more than a dream. He wanted his crewmates to laugh and tease him for having this nightmare. But that would never happen, because this wasn't a dream. The silence was not a dream.

He could remember the days when the Roger Pirates would simply spend the day singing and dancing, making merry in the middle of the vast sea. Binks' Sake was a favorite, accompanied by copious amounts of rum. Just a few days ago, they had been doing just that, until their captain suddenly made an announcement that changed their lives forever. The Roger Pirates were going to disband at the next port. The Roger Pirates, who had been through so much, were going to end on a nameless island in East Blue.

Now the ship was too empty, too quiet. There had been much reluctance, of course, but slowly the crew of the Roger Pirates began to disperse, stepping off the Oro Jackson with heavy hearts. Some lingered, like him, but they soon began to leave as well.

He didn't want to leave.

The sound of footsteps on wood made him turn, tears shimmering in his eyes. He didn't want to leave.

"Captain…" His eyes pleaded with the older man. "Let me go with you."

Roger sighed. "I can't, Shanks. You have to understand that."

"But-"

The captain cut off his protest with a hand on his straw-covered head. "Do you know why I gave you this hat, Shanks?"

Shanks couldn't answer through the sobs that choked him. Roger smiled sadly and drew the teen into his arms.

"This straw hat holds a wish that you will grow up to be a man that I will be proud of. Chase your dreams, Shanks. Live. Live life as I cannot. Find your own crew, and fill your ship with laughter and music."

"It won't be the same."

"No, it won't be the same. They will be different from us, and thus your experiences with them will be also different from what you have seen so far. That is how you will grow." Roger gave him a quick hug and then gently pushed him towards the gangplank. "Go now."

Swallowing another sob, Shanks tilted his straw hat lower to cover his eyes. He walked across the gangplank to the shore for the last time, to join the remnants of the Roger Pirates waiting to send their captain off. Someone patted him comfortingly on the shoulder, but Shanks couldn't make out who it was through the blur of his tears. He hurriedly wiped the moisture away.

Shanks turned to look as Rayleigh stepped onto the gangplank as well, the last member to leave the ship. The sound of Roger's voice reached the waiting Roger Pirates, the words a murmur only heard by the first mate. Rayleigh's lips twisted into a smile that was both fond and pained as he continued down towards the shore.

The gangplank was withdrawn from the shore. The lonely dark-haired figure stood looking down at them for a moment, before turning away.

The Oro Jackson had always been filled with laughter and music. But from then onwards, there was no sound.

* * *

**_Please review!_**


	14. Don't Want to be Alone

_**A sequel to "There Was No More", set a several weeks after the Roger Pirates officially disbanded.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Don't Want To Be Alone**

**#21 solitude**

**Summary: If this was what freedom was like, he rather not have it.**

Shanks sighed and tipped his straw hat lower over his eyes to block out the sun. He was lying on a small boat, being lightly rocked by the waves. The single sail was unfurled, but was catching no wind. The boat simply stayed lazily in the middle of the sea with no island in sight.

The boat's sole occupant briefly considered taking up the oars in light of the windless state, but soon dismissed it. It wasn't as if he had anywhere to go, anyway. He wasn't particularly worried about being attacked either. It was East Blue after all, a far cry from the dangers of Grand Line. For the past few weeks, he had been drifting with no destination in mind, going where the seas and wind chose to bring him, docking in random harbors just long enough to stock up supplies. No responsibilities, no chores, no cares… This was the life of freedom that he had wanted, wasn't it?

Well, if this was freedom, he would rather not have it.

It had been less than a month since the captain had officially disbanded the Roger Pirates and ordered every single one of them off the Oro Jackson, and Shanks was bored out of his mind. There was more than a mere twinge of loneliness as well, though he would never admit it out loud.

He missed the captain, even though the older man had frequently landed them in the worst of scrapes. He missed Master Rayleigh, even though the latter was a demon when it came to training and was absolutely merciless towards Shanks' faults. Heck, he even missed Buggy, even though they could hardly spend a moment together without fighting.

Life on the Oro Jackson had been full of its ups and downs, but it was infinitely more enjoyable than his current situation. The silence was driving him bat-shit crazy. He wished something would happen. _Anything._

As if in answer to his thoughts, a strong gust of wind swept his treasured straw hat right off his head. He bolted upright, ignoring how the boat swayed violently in response to his sudden movement.

"Aaaah! Hat!" He made a frantic grab at the airborne hat of woven straw. When he managed to catch hold of the rim, he gave a sigh of relief only to utter an utterly undignified screech as the boat decided that it had enough of his actions and tipped him over the side.

Shanks spluttered, shaking his wet hair out of his eyes as he glared at the boat. The wooden thing bounced innocently on the waves nearby, looking as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened except for the fact that it was now devoid of its passenger.

Just when he thought that things couldn't get worse, the wind decided to start blowing again and cheerily moved the boat away from him. Shanks cursed and got a mouthful of salt water for his efforts. He replaced his hat on his head and prepared to swim.

The sound of a boat cutting through the water made him glance behind him and his gaze met the amused eyes of a black-haired man.

"Need a hand there, kid?"

Shanks couldn't understand why most of the people that he met seemed to like to call him a kid. He was 15 years old, for goodness sake! But considering that the man _was_ several years older than him and had offered to help him, Shanks let it slide.

He allowed the older man to haul him onboard. The sails caught wind and shot forward, chasing after Shanks' runaway boat.

Shanks wrung his shirt dry to the best of his ability over the side of the boat, then turned to the other man with a smile. "I'm Shanks, thanks for helping me."

His new companion nodded in acknowledgement. "Benn Beckman."

His captain's voice echoed in his mind. _'Find your own crew; fill it with laughter and music. Live, as I cannot.'_

Shanks grinned. He had never been one to let good chances pass him by. Fate had practically deposited a potential crew member in his lap.

"Hey, Benn… Be my nakama."

He didn't want to be alone anymore.

* * *

**_And thus began the Red Hair Pirates._**

**_Hope you liked it! Please review!_**


	15. Romance Dawn

_**We have reached the half-way mark! 15 down, 15 more to go!**_

_**In response to popular demand, I present to you the continuation of the first meeting between Shanks and Benn in "Don't Want To Be Alone"!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Romance Dawn**

**#3 dawn**

**Summary: "Why did you come back?" "Because you're my nakama now."**

"For the last time, I'm not joining your crew. I'm not interested in becoming a pirate."

"Aww, come on, we would make a great team, Benn."

Benn sighed and strode forward, ignoring the red-haired teen beside him. It seemed as if no words would penetrate that thick skull. "I give up."

"So you'll join my crew?"

"No!"

Shanks pouted. He followed his dark-haired companion into the town that they had docked at. The pair had noticed the island when they finally managed to catch up to Shanks' runaway boat and Benn had announced the need to restock supplies. On the pretense of wanting to do the same (he actually still had a good amount of provisions on his boat), Shanks decreed that he would do the same. He wasn't about to let his new reluctant nakama out of his sight. Not until he had convinced him properly.

Benn stopped at a fruit stall and considered purchasing some apples. They looked really good, bright red and fresh.

The stall owner, a kindly elderly lady, smiled toothily at him. "It's fifty beris for ten apples, dear."

"I'll take-"

Suddenly, he felt Shanks tense at his side. He looked at the younger man in surprise, wondering what had caused such alarm. The blood had completely drained from his companion's face, the pale skin and red hair forming a shocking contrast. Glancing down the street, he didn't see anything that could elicit such a reaction. Except for a grey-haired man dressed in a floral-print shirt and khaki shorts who was glaring at the boy.

"YOU!"

Shanks cringed and cursed under his breath.

"You're that red-haired brat of Roger's, aren't you!?" Garp raged. "This means that Roger is in this area! Tell me where he is, boy!"

"Captain isn't here!"

"So Roger isn't here…" Garp mused and for a moment Shanks almost thought that he was off the hook. "As if I would believe that!" the Marine shouted angrily. Garp's gaze shifted to Benn. "And you! You are in cohorts with him, aren't you!? A new member of Roger's crew?"

Benn opened his mouth to deny it but Garp didn't give him the chance. "Stay right where you are, brats, and come quietly!"

"No can do!" Shanks replied, already running away. Taking a brief glance at the infuriated older man who was now rushing in their direction at full speed, Benn took off after Shanks.

"Who the hell is that?" he asked, catching up with the red head.

"Vice Admiral Garp of the Marines."

"…A Vice Admiral!? Why is he after you? Aren't you just a rookie pirate? I thought you don't even have a crew."

Shanks sighed. "Long story short, I used to be an apprentice on a rather notorious pirate crew. Garp is particularly obsessed with catching my captain."

"Where is Roger, you brat!?" came the yell from behind them.

"I don't know!" Shanks yelled back.

"Don't lie!" the Marine roared.

"But it's the truth!"

"I told you not to lie to me! Tell me where Roger is!"

Benn's eyebrows shot up. "Roger? As in Gold Roger, the Pirate King?"

"It's Gol D. Roger, actually. But yeah, he is - was my captain."

Benn noted the deliberate change to past tense but didn't ask further, sensing that it was a sensitive topic with the youth.

A child stumbled across his path, chasing after a ball. Benn's eyes widened and he threw himself to the side to avoid crashing into the little boy. The sudden change in direction messed with his balance and he almost ended up on the ground. Luckily he managed to right himself in time but the distraction gave the Vice Admiral sufficient time to catch up to him.

"I've got you now!" Garp cried out triumphantly, catching hold of Benn's arm in a vice-like grip. The boy's mother quickly snatched the crying child up and carried him indoors to safety.

Shanks, not noticing Benn's almost-fall, had gotten quite a distance ahead but he skidded to a stop at the sound of Garp's words. He turned and gasped, seeing what had befallen his companion.

"Wait, it's me you want, Garp! He's not a Roger Pirate! Let him go!"

"Why should I do that?"

"He's has nothing to do with this! I seriously just met him this morning! He has no connection to the captain! You won't arrest an innocent man, would you?"

"Innocent, huh? I have no reason to believe your words, brat. How about this, you bring me to where Roger is, and I'll let this person go."

"But I really don't know where the captain is!" he wailed, frustrated by the old man's stubbornness.

"Too bad, the two of you will just have to come with me, then!"

With Benn in his grasp and Shanks unwilling to abandon him, they didn't stand a chance against Garp the Fist.

Soon, the pair was tied up and thrown into a room in what was probably Garp's house, sporting throbbing bruises and bumps on their heads. The Marine pinned them with a stern stare and then left the room, presumably to make a call to Headquarters. The door was shut behind him and they heard the sound of a key turning in the lock.

Benn sighed and leaned against the wall, conscious of the uncomfortably tight ropes chafing against his skin. If someone had told him yesterday that he would caught by a Marine Admiral, he would have laughed in that person's face. But then he found a red-haired boy in the middle of the sea and his life got turned upside down.

However, there was a question that nagged at him. "Why did you come back? You could have easily gotten away back then."

"You're nakama." The reply was so simple and spoken with such conviction that Benn was taken aback. He momentarily forgot to protest that he still hadn't agreed to join the red head's crew.

"But now you've been caught and will be handed over to the Marines. You could be hanged!"

Shanks' expression turned mischievous. "Not if we are no longer here when Garp comes back.

Benn stared on in surprise as Shanks deftly freed himself from his bonds.

Shanks grinned in triumph. "Ha, that's what happens when you underestimate me, Garp! I may have just been an apprentice, but I learnt many things from the captain and Master Rayleigh!" He started untying Benn's ropes. "There! Now let's go!"

Shanks picked the lock and quietly pushed open the door. Seeing that the coast was clear, he beckoned to Benn to follow him.

They dashed out of the house, almost running over a young girl with dark green hair who looked a few years younger than Shanks. She squeaked in surprise, dropping the ball she was playing with. "Ah-"

Shanks' arms flailed, caught off guard by the unexpected obstacle to their escape. "We're not going to hurt you. Please don't call Garp!"

Surprised, she tilted her head to one side and regarded him seriously. "Are you pirates?"

Shanks motioned for Benn to head towards the dock first, and the older man complied. The teen turned back to the girl. "Yeah."

The girl's brow wrinkled. "But Garp-san says that pirates are bad."

"We're not bad, I promise! We haven't done anything bad to you, right?"

The girl looked thoughtful. "Hmm, I… Ah, Garp-san!"

Shanks gulped and turned around to see a fuming Garp standing a short distance away.

"Stay away from Makino, you red-haired brat!"

"Gah!" Shanks sprinted away. "I wasn't doing anything!"

"Be quiet, you!"

They neared the port. Shanks let out a breath in relief when he spotted the two boats bobbing on the water and Benn having already untied the moors for one of the boats.

However, he hadn't taken into consideration that the seaside would provide Garp with readily available ammunition. Things took a turn for the worst.

A large rock flew towards him, thrown by the insanely strong Vice Admiral. Gritting his teeth, Shanks held his sword in both hands and cut the rock in half. But what he hadn't counted on was a second rock closely following the first. His eyes widened. He couldn't possibly raise his sword in time…

A gunshot sounded and the rock shattered. Shanks gaped as small pieces of rock bounced harmlessly off him.

"What are you waiting for, get on!" Benn's yell snapped him out of his shock. He quickly turned to jump onto the boat that held his companion. Benn immediately opened the sails and they were off, leaving the enraged Vice Admiral behind on the shore. Soon, the island couldn't be seen anymore.

With the danger thus passed, Shanks looked at the rifle in Benn's hand in awe.

"Wow, you're really strong! That was an amazing shot!"

"You're not bad yourself. You have some pretty good skills with that sword."

"I was taught by the best. Still have a long way to go, though." The red head looked at him seriously. "Hey, Benn, be my nakama," Shanks said for what seemed like the hundredth time.

This time, Benn didn't reject immediately. He looked thoughtful for a moment and then smirked. "Why not?"

An enormous grin blossomed on Shanks' face.

"Welcome to the crew, Benn! Now let's go find more nakama!"

Benn shook his head in exasperation. He had a feeling that he wouldn't be getting any peace with this boy as captain. But then he grinned. "Aye, aye, captain."

He won't be getting bored anytime soon, either.

* * *

_**Wow, this is the longest one-shot in this series yet.**_

_**Hope you liked it! Please review!**_

_**PS - I have a new poll set up on my profile, with the question of what my next One Piece fanfiction should be about. Do drop by and leave a vote! Much appreciated!**_


	16. With a 'Don'

_**An encounter with another future Straw Hat, this time in the city of Water 7...**_

_**Hehe, writing about possible past meetings is so fun. I hope you enjoy it!**_

* * *

**With a 'Don'**

**#12 underwear**

**Summary: While waiting for a great ship to be built, two boys begin a grudging friendship.**

Shanks had been heading for the shipyard on an errand for his captain when he had run across a most peculiar individual, with spiky blue hair, weird goggles and…

"Why are you only wearing your underwear?" he asked flatly.

The younger boy bristled. "Why do you care!? I can wear whatever I like!"

"…Weirdo," Shanks deadpanned.

"Why, you-" Franky began a heated retort but the sound of a laugh nearby caught the two boys' attention.

"Nmaa, you're really noisy, Franky."

"Shut up, Bakaberg!"

Shanks grinned and raised a hand in greeting. "Iceburg! How's the ship coming along?"

Iceburg continued walking towards Scrap Island as the red-haired boy fell into step beside him. He looked over at Shanks, strong pride in his face. "Of course it's absolutely splendid. Tom is the best shipwright in the world. I'll be helping him where I can, so that will speed things up a bit."

"Hey, I'm helping too!" Franky interjected hotly, scrambling to catch up to the two older boys.

The cabin boy turned to look at him skeptically.

"He looks unreliable, but he's Tom's apprentice as well," Iceburg cut in before a squabble could break out.

"Huh," Shanks uttered disbelievingly.

"You want a fight, bastard?" Franky yelled. "And what did you mean by 'he looks unreliable', Bakaburg!?"

"Tahahahaha! You youngsters sure are energetic!" Tom laughed as he lifted a huge plank of wood onto his shoulder with no appearance of strain.

"Gero," Yokozuna agreed cheerfully.

"Tom! Captain wants to know if the ship's done!" Shanks called out.

Tom laughed heartily again, this time having to stop to catch his breath. "What an impatient captain! I tell him five days and forbid him to come to the site, and what does he do? Send his apprentice! Tahahahaha!" He smiled at Shanks, wiping tears from his eyes. "The ship will be done when it's done. You can't rush making a ship, especially one like this. It's a ship that will sail all around the world, fit for a Pirate King! I'll do it with a 'don'!"

"Great!" Shanks grinned widely. "Hey Tom, can I watch you work?"

"Tahahaha! Why not?"

"Don't get in the way, baka!" Franky yelled from the side.

Shanks stuck his tongue out at him. "Shut up, underwear pervert."

* * *

When Shanks returned to the inn the crew was staying at, Roger immediately pounced on him.

"Well?" he asked, his eyes shining in anticipation.

"Tom gave me a message for you, Captain." Shanks paused.

"What is it?" Roger prompted impatiently.

Shanks grinned cheekily at the black-haired man as he quoted the old fishman's words. "'If you're a real man, you wait with a 'don'!'"

* * *

"Hey, have you ever thought of becoming a pirate?" Shanks asked Iceburg curiously the next day. Shanks had returned the next morning and offered to help out in the shipbuilding. Now he was hauling some of the smaller pieces of wood around, watching the way the older boy easily carried much larger planks with envy.

"Nmaa, never really thought of it. But I suppose I would rather build ships than sail in them. This is where I belong."

"Huh..." Shanks made a slightly disbelieving noise in response, not understanding why someone would choose shipbuilding over sailing. But it was good, he supposed. If everyone wanted to sail, who would make new ships? Still, it wasn't a concept that he could quite understand.

"I wouldn't want to join some stupid pirate crew." Franky replied with a derisive snort.

"No one asked you, pervert."

"I'm not talking to you either, carrot-top."

"Mummy didn't teach you to put on pants, Franky?"

Franky tensed. "Yeah, she didn't," the blue-haired boy ground out before stomping away angrily.

Shanks watched him leave, confused. He had just been teasing, like they had been doing to each other the whole morning. "Did I say something wrong?"

Iceburg sighed. "Franky was abandoned by his parents (who were pirates, mind) a few years ago. Tom found him and took him in."

Shanks winced. Oops. He knew that Franky wasn't Tom's real son, but never questioned the absence of the boy's parents.

"I should apologize, shouldn't I?"

"Nmaa, it would be good if you did."

A distance away, the younger boy was pounding nails into the wood as if they had personally offended him. Shanks approached cautiously.

"If it helps, I don't know who my parents are, even," Shanks ventured. Franky's violent movements slowed slightly, but he didn't give any other indication of hearing Shanks' words. Nevertheless, Shanks was encouraged and continued.

"But I don't really mind much, you know why? Because I have the captain, Master Rayleigh and the crew now. It's kinda like what you have with Tom and the others." Franky still gave no response, keeping his attention on his work. But didn't look as angry as he had been before. Shanks thought that it was the right time to offer his apology. "Hey, Franky, I'm sorry about what I said just now. I didn't really mean it."

Franky frowned at the nails for a moment longer before turning to glare at Shanks. Shanks willed himself not to flinch and to meet the boy's sharp gaze calmly. After a brief staring session, Franky turned back to his work. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine, I forgive you."

Shanks' face finally cracked into a relieved smile. "Truce?" he asked cheerfully, holding out a hand.

A moment's thought later, Franky put his hand in his. "Truce."

Silence returned as the boy settled back into their respective tasks. But there was still something that nagged at Shanks' mind. "So... why _do_ you only wear underwear?"

"...Shut up."

* * *

**_Don't you wonder why too? Haha. Hope you liked it! Please review!_**

**Authors note: (Please read!)**

**_I noted that Makino's cameo appearance in the last chapter was quite popular among the reviewers. I'm considering including a ShanksxMakino one-shot in one of the future chapters, so I want to know what do you all think of that. Would you like to see it, or would you rather I stay clear of pairings?_**

**_PS - For those of you who haven't voted in the poll, do check it out and leave a vote! :)_**


	17. Becoming Stronger

_**Going back once again to the time of the Roger Pirates. This time, we arrive in the midst of a battle against one of Roger's most persistent enemies - Golden Lion Shiki.**_

_**The actual character featured in this one-shot is Dr Indigo, but since I couldn't find his character listing in the filter, I put Shiki instead. **__**Haha, I'm going really crazy with random character associations. Hope you like this!**_

* * *

**Becoming Stronger**

**#6 mad scientist**

**Summary: A former enemy watches as a daring young boy grows into a man his captain would have been proud of.**

"Piro piro piro," the man cackled as he rushed towards Roger with his sword drawn. The captain was currently engaged in a sword fight with Shiki, which left his back wide open. As pirates, they weren't opposed to utilizing some shady tactics, unlike the ridiculous code of honor Roger's crew abided by.

The metallic clash of another sword against his, however, made him stop in his tracks.

"I won't let you anywhere near the captain!" his opponent shouted.

"Piro piro piro," Dr. Indigo laughed again, looking at the boy with amused eyes. "You really think you can stop me, boy?" he taunted, increasing the pressure on his sword.

Shanks gritted his teeth in frustration and held firmer to his sword. With a swift movement, he whipped his second sword in a horizontal arc towards Dr. Indigo's head.

Dr. Indigo cackled and pranced away. Shanks charged forward, both swords slashing at his opponent. Dr. Indigo deftly brought his sword up to block the attack.

The indigo-haired scientist raised a hand to initiate his Chemical Juggling attack. But just as a bright green orb began to form, three knives held by a disembodied hand shot towards his head, causing him to have to dodge and break his concentration. He narrowed his eyes in irritation at the person who interrupted their battle.

Buggy's hand reattached itself and the blue-haired boy glared back, moving into a defensive stance.

Shanks glanced between the two individuals. "You two come from the same circus or something?" he blurted out.

"Is that the way to talk to someone who just flashily saved your life, flashy bastard!?" Buggy shrieked angrily.

"Sorry, sorry." Shanks said with a sheepish expression but his voice quivered from suppressed laughter. "Thanks, Buggy."

"Piro, piro, piro, you must always keep your attention on your opponent, children. It's something that you must learn. Pity you aren't going to have any time to learn it!" Dr. Indigo grinned ominously. "Chemical Juggling!"

"Crap!" Shanks cursed and managed to dodge the small green and purple orb by a hairsbreadth. It hit the deck and exploded, leaving a small hole in the wood. His eyes widened as the ensuing stream of explosive orbs shot straight at him, leaving him no time to avoid them.

A hand roughly shoved him to the ground and he heard the sound of a sword swishing at an amazing speed above his head, eradicating the chemical attacks.

"Master Rayleigh!"

Rayleigh smirked. "Fighting children, Indigo? How dishonorable of you. Come, I'll be your opponent!"

"Piro piro piro, I won't fool myself into believing that I can win against you, Dark King Rayleigh. But weaklings in your crew will be your downfall one day. Piro piro piro…"

"Who are you calling weak, flashy bastard!?" Buggy fumed.

Shanks also wanted to say that he wasn't weak, that he could handle this fight. But he knew that it wasn't true, because he had lost, and Rayleigh had to needed to come save him.

Rayleigh's voice cut through his unhappy thoughts. The man's tone was smug. "We have no weakling in our crew, Indigo, only boys who are growing every day. They'll surpass you yet, so you're the one who should watch out."

"Piro piro piro, I look forward to it."

* * *

"What is so amusing, Dr. Indigo?" one of the crew members asked curiously.

"Piro piro piro," was the only reply, the scientist not giving any answer to the question.

After a while, the scientist got up and set the newspaper on the table before leaving the room. Curious, the crew member picked up the paper to look at the article the other had been reading.

"Red-Haired Shanks labeled by Marines as one of the Yonko… Huh. What's so funny about that?" Bemused, he replaced the paper on the table. The scientist was really hard to understand sometimes.

Walking down the hallway, his shoes making farting noises which each step, Indigo continued to chuckle.

* * *

**_If you haven't voted in the poll, drop by my profile to do so!_**

**_Please review! I really appreciate your comments. :)_**


	18. Invincible

**_Another one-shot from the time of the Roger Pirates! Set somewhat early in Shanks' journey with Roger, prior to entering the Grand Line._**

**_Part one of a new mini-series that spans 3 chapters. Hope you like it!_**

* * *

**Invincible**

**#15 horror**

**Summary: It was just a speck of blood. A tiny stain on his captain's hand. He had seen much worse, so why was he so afraid?**

There was blood. Bright red blood where he never thought he would see it.

"Shanks," Roger said calmly, his eyes not leaving the shaking boy in the doorway. "Shanks," he repeated, moving slowly towards the boy as if careful not to scare him away. "It's okay."

No, it wasn't okay.

Because Shanks had just seen blood on his captain's hand, staining his captain's lips. The blood had been quickly washed away, all evidence going down the drain. But not fast enough, because Shanks had seen it.

This wasn't right, his captain was supposed to be invincible, the strongest man on the seas. There shouldn't be blood. Others', perhaps, but not his own.

"Shanks," Roger called out again, worried.

Shanks' eyes darted between his captain, the sink and the door. His head was spinning, he couldn't think straight.

"Shanks," Roger said, this time firmer.

Shanks briefly locked gazes with his captain, tore it away and ran, ignoring his captain's calls from behind him.

* * *

Shanks walked slowly towards the captain's quarters. He wanted to apologize to his captain for running off earlier. And part of him wished that Roger would ease his worries, tell him that he hadn't seen what he thought he had seen. He wanted his captain to tell him that everything would be really alright.

There had to be another explanation to it. There just had to be.

As he neared the captain's quarters, he caught the sound of soft murmurs coming from within. Roger wasn't alone, it seemed.

Curious, the boy pressed his ear against the wood of the door.

"He found out, Rayleigh," Roger's voice was dejected. "Shanks. I didn't want him to find out, especially not like this. He took it really badly."

Roger's words were cut off by a bout of coughing. Shanks winced at the sound.

"It's getting worse," Rayleigh said flatly, worry apparent in his voice. "We need to find a doctor."

Shanks' breath hitched. If Master Rayleigh said that a doctor was needed, it meant that the captain's condition was serious.

Roger sighed. "It's easier said than done. Not many doctors will be willing to set sail with pirates."

"Where do you think such a person can be found, Roger?" Rayleigh laughed shortly, with forced humor. "Come, use your legendary intuition. Our next crew member."

A pause as Roger thought, then the sound of someone getting up. "We head for Grand Line tomorrow."

"Yes, captain."

Footsteps sounded, but before Shanks could hide himself, the door swung open. He froze guiltily.

But Roger only said, "Come in, Shanks."

He stepped into the room, and Roger drew him into his arms. "Hey," Roger said softly, one hand caressing the back of his head as the boy buried his face in the front of the captain's shirt.

Shanks clung to the older man, desperately trying to wish away the memory of blood.

He didn't want to remember the blood, because it reminded him that his captain was only human. It reminded him that his captain wasn't invincible, wasn't immune to all forms of injury and sickness.

It reminded him that his captain could die.

* * *

**_(T_T)_**

**_Hope you enjoyed reading this! Please review!_**

**_PS - I recently discovered the wonderful program known as Shimeji, and while typing this now have a large number of Zoros and Sanjis (and one Luffy) walking/climbing around my screen. XD They're so adorable, haha._**


	19. Warmth in the Snow

_**I swear, this is addicting. First Brook, then Franky, and now... whose turn is it? Well, just read on to find out!**_

_**Part two of the mini-series that focuses on Roger's illness.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Warmth in the Snow**

**28 - frozen**

**Summary: A boy and his captain leave a certain doctor with a memory she will never forget.**

"Are you Dr. Kureha?"

Kureha turned towards the red-haired boy who had addressed her with a raised eyebrow. "So what if I am, boy? What, do you want to know the secret of my youth?"

"Yes!"

Kureha was caught off guard. No one had said that before, let alone a youth who was barely a man. She looked at him sharply.

"Why would a brat like you want to know that?"

"How do you stop someone from dying?"

"Who's dying, brat?"

Shanks bit his lip and cast his gaze downwards. "It's… It's my captain." With a sudden motion, he grabbed hold of Kureha's sleeve. "Obaa-san, you're a doctor, aren't you? Please help the captain!"

Kureha looked irritated. "Who are you calling 'obaa-san', you brat? I'm only 114 years old!"

'Captain', was it? Kureha thought about the gossip that had been flying around village the whole day. Apparently a notorious pirate crew had arrived on their island and was making merry at the village inn. She remembered hearing the sound of singing when she passed by the brightly-lit building. That didn't seem like the crew of a captain who was dying.

Kureha glared at the boy who still had a death grip on her sleeve. "You a pirate, kid? Come in with the crew staying at the inn?"

The boy nodded. He looked a little hopeful, thinking that perhaps she was going to go to the inn to see his captain.

Kureha scowled and removed her sleeve from the youth's hands. "Your captain seems perfectly fine to me!" she snapped. "If calling me there is his idea of a joke, you can tell him that I'm not interested in playing games with him! Go away!"

She turned and entered her house, slamming the door in the boy's stunned face. Seriously! She should move her home to a more secluded place, so that she wouldn't be pestered by pesky brats. Like on the top of one of the Drum Rockies. Yes, that would be a good location.

A pounding on the door snapped her out of her musings on finding a new house. The voice calling for her told her that it was the boy.

"Go away! I don't have time for your pranks!"

"Please, obaa-san! Come with me to see the captain!"

Kureha frowned and sat down on her seat by the fire. The boy would tire eventually and go back to his crew. It was only a matter of time.

Sure enough, the knocking soon after a while. Good riddance. Kureha sighed and massaged her temples. What an annoying brat he had been.

After a short doze to recover from her tiring day, she got up to start cooking dinner. Crossing the room to her kitchen, she caught sight of something unusual from the corner of her eye. Shocked by the implications, she hurried to the window. No doubt, the flash of red she had seen was the boy's hair.

She wrenched open the front door to see the boy from before huddled at her doorstop. So he hadn't left after all. Kureha felt a guilty feeling arise at the prospect that she had misjudged the boy's intentions. It was definitely more serious that she had initially thought.

A hand felt the boy's face and she cursed at the unnatural coldness. The boy looked up at her blearily, only half conscious. "Doctor…"

"Stupid boy!" Kureha rushed into her house and grabbed a thick blanket off her bed which she quickly wrapped around the shivering boy. Then, with a strength one wouldn't expect of a woman her age and figure, she picked him up into her arms and ran towards the inn.

* * *

Kureha violently kicked the inn door open. The room fell silent as the men turned to look at her in surprise. She ignored them. "Who's the captain here?" she yelled.

A black-haired man with an equally black mustache rose. "I am, who-" his words cut off as he spotted the boy in her arms. "Shanks!" Roger ran to the door and quickly took the unconscious boy from Kureha. "What happened!?"

Kureha ignored him. Her gaze swept sharply over the pirates in the room. "You." She beckoned imperiously at Rayleigh, who she deduced looked more responsible than the rest. "Take the boy."

Rayleigh raised an eyebrow at her tone but nevertheless carefully took Shanks away from Roger.

Kureha wasn't done yet. "The kid needs to be warmed up properly. Wrap him up in blankets, but don't put him next to the fire. Give him a hot drink when he wakes. Got that!?"

Crocus calmly intervened. "I'm the crew's doctor, I know what has to be done." He quietly told to Rayleigh to bring the boy into his room, nodding to Kureha with gratitude before following them.

Kureha looked satisfied at his assured handling of the situation. At least the boy was in good hands. Now she had a different matter to look into…

"You," she finally directed her narrowed eyes back at Roger. "Sit down."

She turned and began unpacking her medical equipment as the captain meekly did as he was told. He may be the highest authority on his ship, but even captains knew to listen to doctors' orders.

"That kid followed me back to my house, begging me to save his captain," Kureha said bluntly. "That's you, isn't it?"

Roger was stunned. So that was where Shanks had been the whole afternoon.

"Can't you talk?" Kureha snapped. "So, do you know what illness you have?"

Roger's smile was bitter. "That boy should know better than to risk his health for mine. What I have is advanced lung cancer. I know that my illness can't be cured. It's too late for that."

"Hmm." Kureha muttered. "Hand," she demanded and Roger complied. She took his pulse. "What symptoms do you have?" she asked as she continued the check-up.

"Occasionally coughing up blood is the most obvious. Shanks, the boy who went to get you, that is, saw that a while ago and I think it really scared him. Sometimes I have difficulty breathing. Our ship's doctor has been monitoring my illness and trying to control the symptoms."

"Well, it's good that you have a good understanding of your health," Kureha said, not mincing her words. "I'll share some remedies I know with your doctor."

"I appreciate it, Doctor."

Kureha started packing her equipment.

"By the way, I didn't catch your name, Doctor."

"…Kureha." Kureha smirked at him. "What, are you mesmerized by my youthful looks?"

"No," Roger replied bluntly, but with a grin.

Kureha's eye twitched in annoyance. After a while, she burst out laughing. "Cheeky brat." She finished packing and prepared to check on the boy again before leaving.

Roger called out after her. "I'm Gol D. Roger. Remember my name, because within the short time that I have left to live, I'll be the man to become the Pirate King."

Alone in the hallway, she smirked. "Pirate King Gol D. Roger, huh? The Will of D has always produced crazy people."

Identifying the room that the boy had been taken to, Kureha stepped into the room.

Checking over the boy's vitals, she noted approvingly what the crew's doctor had done to make the boy comfortable. Not that she would ever admit it aloud to the man sitting next to the bed, of course.

After a quiet discussion with Crocus about the captain's condition, she turned to leave.

A hand reached out to catch the bottom of her coat.

"Doctor… Cure Captain…" the boy murmured, only half-coherent.

Kureha took the boy's hand off her coat and smoothed her free hand over his forehead with a gentleness the doctor rarely exhibited. "Foolish boy…"

As she left the room, she passed Roger who had come to see the boy as well. The pirate's gaze told her of his gratitude and she nodded at him as she shifted to let him enter the room.

She glanced back into the room to see the captain gently touch the boy's hair the way a father would caress his beloved child. Even in his sleep, the red-haired boy smiled at the touch. Kureha quietly closed the door behind her and left, feeling that she had, after a long time, regained faith in humanity.

* * *

_**Hope you liked it! Please leave a review!**_

_**PPS - To you OP fanfic writers out there, may I recommend a livejournal community? It's called onepiece_300, I recently stumbled upon it. It's a fanfic challenge community specialising in drabbles (300 words and less), with regularly changing prompts! It's really fun, and would be even better with more people participating! :D Do drop by!**_


	20. Wish

_**Part three and the finale of this mini-series. The Roger Pirates have reached the New World, and a boy learns something meaningful from the residents of one island.**_

* * *

**Wish**

**#24 1000**

**Summary: The people of Wano believe that if a person folds 1000 origami cranes, a wish will be granted.**

Roger was noting a most peculiar new behavior in one of his crew members. The second youngest, to be exact. The red head seemed particularly reclusive of late, secluding himself in his shared room with Buggy whenever not busy with chores.

As the captain watched the boy hurrying below deck to the living quarters after helping Crocus tidy up the infirmary, he resolved to get to the bottom of this strange change in his cabin-boy. Creeping stealthily to the men's quarters, he peeked into the boys' room. Roger didn't really know what he had been expecting, but it definitely wasn't to see Shanks folding a palm-sized piece of colored paper with a look of complete concentration on his face. The boy was staring intently at his work, his bottom lip gently caught in his teeth. It was to the point that he didn't even realize when Roger quietly pushed the door open and entered the room.

"Shanks."

The boy started violently, obviously having been so immersed in his task that he hadn't noticed the captain's entrance. "C-c-captain!"

Roger sat down on the bed next to the boy, careful not to tip over the impressive stack of similar sized paper. His new vantage point enabled him to look into the large box by Shanks' feet, noting that it held what seemed to be delicate bird-like forms made from the same colored paper. Upon closer inspection of the item in Shanks' hands, the paper appeared to have been miraculously in the process of turning into one of those birds.

The boy's hands, however, had stilled with Roger's announcement of his presence. Shanks was looking at him with wide eyes, not knowing what to do now that he had been caught.

"So…" Roger started with a raised eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

Roger noted with interest that the boy's face had flushed to match his hair, and Shanks' gaze dropped uncomfortably to the half-done paper bird in his hands. He fiddled with the edges nervously.

"Er, well… It's called origami."

"Origami?" Roger echoed. The term was faintly familiar and he had a nagging feeling that he had seen something similar to those paper birds before.

"I learnt it in Wano," Shanks supplied helpfully, refreshing Roger's memory. Ah, so that's where he had seen those birds. They had just left Wano about a week ago. Come to think of it, that was about the time that Shanks' unusual behavior had started.

"You like doing crafts like this?" Roger was curious. Shanks had never struck him as one for fine arts and handmade crafts.

Somehow, Shanks' face reddened further, taking a hue quite similar to his hair. Roger was intrigued. So his reading of Shanks' character wasn't off, after all. There was a story behind this. And Roger was by nature a very curious man.

"Mind telling me about this?" He waved at the paper birds and the unfolded stack of colored paper.

Shanks fiddled with the bird unproductively for another moment then sighed. "The people of Wano have this belief," he finally relented, "…that these origami cranes have a special power. More specifically, the myth says that if a person can fold one thousand origami cranes in a year, a wish will be granted. They call it Senbazuru."

Shanks' hands resumed his action of folding the crane.

"The wish… The people of Wano usually use these one thousand origami cranes to wish for one of three things." Hands roughened by years out at sea were nevertheless nimble as they folded the paper, creating a bird out of the single sheet.

"Good luck, happiness, or…" Shanks' voice shook slightly. "Or recovery from illness."

There was no need to say who the wish was for, it was clear for both of them.

"Captain, I'll finish the thousand origami cranes in one year, so… don't leave, okay?" A tear dripped from the bowed head and fell onto the newly completed crane.

With a sigh, Roger drew the boy into his arms. A gentle hand smoothed down the soft red strands. "Silly boy…" he chided fondly as the boy cried into the front of his shirt.

But he didn't make any promises. He couldn't. Not even with the power of a thousand origami cranes.

* * *

**_I apologize that this mini-series has been such a depressing journey. But fret not! The next chapter will be something a lot more light-hearted! I hope._**

**_Anyway, hope you liked it, and please review!_**


	21. Her Smile

_**I promised something light-hearted, and this is the result! (Feels accomplished) I wouldn't really classify it fluff or humour, but it's a far cry from the previous chapter and I hope that you like it.**_

_**Another Roger Pirates one-shot, set prior to the crew entering Grand Line. Location: South Blue.**_

_**Enjoy! (PS- why is there no character filter for Rouge!? O.O)**_

* * *

**Her Smile**

**27 – gate**

**Summary: She smiled at him, a gentle, loving smile, and he wondered if his mother used to smile like that as well.**

Shanks stared at the strange thin trees with curved trunks and large leaves in fascination. They were so very unlike anything he had seen before in West Blue. Crocus-san had told him that they were a species called palm trees, native to tropical islands like the one the Roger Pirates had docked at yesterday.

According to Crocus-san, this South Blue island was known as Baterilla. To Shanks, it was unlike anything he had seen before and thus looked like adventure, regardless of its peaceful air.

"Master Rayleigh, can I go ashore to explore?" he asked eagerly.

Rayleigh lowered his newspaper at fix the boy with a stern look. "No," he said with finality. "I'm not taking the chance of you running into trouble. Go do your chores, I know you haven't completed them yet." With that decree, Rayleigh returned his attention to his reading.

Shanks pouted. Master Rayleigh was such a kill-joy sometimes. Not that he would tell the man to his face, Shanks still wanted to live, thank you very much.

Pretending to sulk as he walked back towards the cabins, Shanks was actually casting his gaze around the deck to locate his captain. To his surprise, Roger was nowhere to be found. Had he already gone ahead to explore without announcing anything? Shanks felt a little betrayed.

His backup plan thus foiled, the boy changed course to sigh at the railing. He gazed wistfully at the exotic trees and the island that he was just sure was hiding adventure. Large leaves swayed in the wind, and a lone figure was making its way inland from the shore, where a small rowboat had been towed onto the sand… Wait, wasn't that the captain? So he really had gone ahead! So unfair!

Shanks snuck a subtle peek down towards the waters below. The ship had been docked a distance away from the island, but that wasn't a big problem. Shanks had always been a strong swimmer. A rope hung from the side of the ship, no doubt how his captain had left his ship. The boy cast a wary look around to make sure no one was watching him. Master Rayleigh was still immersed in his paper, Crocus-san was in the infirmary, and everyone else was similarly engaged in some task or another. Perfect.

With nimble movements, the boy was soon scaling down the side of the ship, finally reaching the clear waters. He swiftly swam to shore, and then dashed for the cover of trees before anyone thought to glance at the island, wringing his clothes dry to the best of his ability as he ran. Footprints in the sand told him the path Roger had gone and he eagerly followed it, wanting to know what his captain was up to. Sure enough, after a minute, he caught sight of the older man ahead. Roger's gait was relaxed but he clearly had a destination in mind. Shanks slowed down to keep a careful distance between himself and the captain. No point revealing himself, after all. Better to see what Roger had planned. This was an adventure, Shanks thought with a grin.

He tailed his captain to a pretty little cottage with a breathtaking view of the sea, built on a cliff as it was. It was going well, until a twig broke with a snap beneath Shanks' shoe. He dove behind a bush. To his relief, it seemed that the crash of the waves on the rocks below had thankfully drowned out the sound as Roger didn't even look back.

Roger unlatched the short gate and stepped into the cottage's compound, closing it behind him. After the captain had entered the cottage, Shanks stealthily ducked behind the fence which was overgrown with flowering plants and carefully shifted his head to peek through the bars of the gate. Whatever was Roger doing here?

The front door had been left ajar, and Shanks could see a beautiful lady greeting the dark-haired man with a dazzling smile. They shifted out of his sight for a while before returning to sit at the dining table which was in Shanks' line of vision.

Roger had his back to the door, but he had a clear view of the lady's face. She really was very pretty, he decided. But who was she and how did the captain know her?

The lady laughed at something Roger said, the sound unheard from his distant position but he imagined it to be a musical, tinkling sound. Long slim fingers gracefully poured tea from a teapot into two cups. The two adults exchanged words, and Shanks wondered curiously what they were saying to make the lady look so happy.

"Hey, what are you flashily doing?" The sudden voice to his right made Shanks start and he almost toppled onto the ground. He hastily grabbed Buggy to hide him from sight.

"Shhh! I'm spying on the captain. Be quiet or he'll hear you!"

* * *

"Roger," Rouge said with a slight smile while calmly taking a sip of tea, "there's a boy peeking at us from outside the gate. Should I be worried?"

Roger chuckled, unconcerned about this breach of privacy. He didn't turn, not wanting his little follower to know that he had long been discovered. "One of mine. Bright red hair, looks about 10?"

When Rouge confirmed the description, Roger smiled fondly. "That's Shanks. You've met Rayleigh, but not my sons, have you? I have two cabin-boys on my crew, spirited children who will undoubtedly grow up into fine men." There was pride in his voice.

This was one of the things Rouge loved the most about Roger, how much he cared for his crew and his treasured ones. "I would love to meet them."

"I'll introduce you to some of the crew soon as well," Roger promised. Neither of them liked the secrecy that surrounded their relationship, but it was necessary. He didn't want Marines to target her to get to him.

Rouge's attention was again attracted by something outside. "Would your other son happen to have blue hair and a large red nose?" she asked, rather startled by the other boy's sudden appearance.

The two cabin boys appeared to be squabbling, though still had the presence of mind to keep their voices low enough that no sound could be heard from into the cottage. She smiled. They seemed close. The two boys appeared to finally settle their disagreement and settled down to peek through the gate together.

Rouge dropped her gaze to her teacup so that they wouldn't realize that she had spotted them, but she couldn't suppress a smile at how adorable they had looked.

Roger chuckled. "So both of them have come, is it? Cheeky brats."

Sneaking another glance at the two little spies over Roger's shoulder, Rouge suddenly giggled.

"Something amusing, my dear?" Roger smiled at her lovingly, lounging in his seat. He actually had a pretty good idea what was going on, having sensed the arrival of the third presence a short while ago.

"It would seem that Rayleigh is berating the two poor boys. Perhaps you should go save them, Roger?"

Roger raised an eyebrow. "Invite them in for tea, you mean?"

Rouge smiled. "More visitors would be lovely. You wanted to introduce them to me, didn't you? I'll prepare some iced drinks for the boys. Now go on, before Rayleigh drags the children away."

Roger laughed and got up from his seat to go rescue the boys from Rayleigh's annoyed clutches.

* * *

Shanks was ushered into the cottage along with Buggy and a disgruntled-looking Master Rayleigh. The dark cloud over the first mate's face soon cleared, though, not wanting to showcase a bad mood in front of a lady.

"Rouge." Rayleigh said with a smile. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise, Rayleigh. I trust that you have been well?" Rouge returned his greeting with a smile, before turning to the two boys who were gawking at her. She gave them a friendly smile as well. "And these two must be Shanks and Buggy. How do you do?"

When Shanks didn't give any response, Rayleigh kicked his shin lightly. Well, lightly for Rayleigh, but it still hurt a damn lot. Shanks scowled a little and glared at the first mate, but got the message. He extended his hand to the lady.

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," He managed in a tolerably polite tone, one of the more noticeable results of Rayleigh's relentless training over the past year. Shanks caught a look of satisfaction on the first mate's face before the man reached over to prod Buggy to do the same.

But then he looked into the lady's eyes and suddenly all he could see was her.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Shanks. Just call me Rouge." Her voice was soft and warm, melodious like he had expected.

Shanks couldn't really remember his mother, but as Rouge smiled gently at him and took his hand in hers, he wondered that she had been like her.

* * *

"Isn't Captain coming back to the ship with us?" Shanks asked the first mate as the three finally left after an hour to return to the ship, having been stuffed full of delicious cookies and cakes.

"He'll be staying at Rouge's place tonight," was the simple reply.

"Why?"

"That's none of your business."

Shanks looked like he wanted to ask more, unsatisfied with Rayleigh's answer.

"He'll be doing something flashy," Buggy declared wisely.

Shanks stared at Buggy in confusion. "Huh?"

"You know, _that_," the blue-haired boy said with the patient air of explaining something to an idiot.

"Oh." Shanks had apparently understood. "_That._"

The boys shared a knowing glance.

Well, that settled the problem. Still, looking at the two cabin boys, Rayleigh wondered with amusement whether either actually knew what they were talking about.

* * *

_**So, how did you enjoy this after the angst of the previous few chapters? What do you think of it? Leave a review! :D**_

_**PS: Remember that poll I asked you all to vote in a few chapters back? I got around to writing one of the top voted choices! It's called "Pure Gold", which explores the scenarios of Ace being raised by Rayleigh, Shanks, Crocus or Whitebeard instead of Garp. I would really appreciate it if you checked it out!**_


	22. Take My Hand

_**The fourth Straw Hat-related chapter, a coincidental meeting between a young man and a little girl in the past. Remember what I said about it being addicting? I wasn't kidding.**_

_**The longest chapter yet! (gleeful) Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Take My Hand**

**2 – second chance**

**Summary: She wished that she could let herself trust him completely, she truly did.**

A red-haired youth ducked into an alleyway and grinned in triumph as the Marines thundered past his hiding place. Idiots. Did they really think that they could capture Red-Haired Shanks? Ha, not so easy! His epithet may have been recently earned, but he had been a pirate for much longer and knew well enough how to slip away from Marines.

Quick, labored breathing of someone who had also entered the narrow alley almost made him jump straight out of his skin. He spun around with a hand on his sword, ready to fight the lucky (or unlucky) Marine who had discovered his position.

Only to find that it wasn't a Marine after all.

Shanks stared in surprise at the little girl who had also sought refuge in the dark alleyway. The child couldn't be much older than ten, with straight black hair and large eyes. Shanks opened his mouth to ask her why she was running but was cut off by the sound of another group of Marines stampeding past.

"She's just a child! She couldn't have gotten far! Find her!" the leader of the group yelled.

"Yes, sir!"

Like the previous group, they completely neglected to even glance into the alleyway.

Once the men had left, Shanks raised an eyebrow at the girl. "So… Why are they chasing you?"

The young girl bit her lower lip unhappily, not answering. Shanks sighed at the silence but didn't pressure her, instead peeking out of their hiding place. "Hey, the coast is clear. Why don't you come with me? I won't let the Marines find you."

The girl looked at him with wide eyes, caught off guard by his offer. After a moment, however, she shook her head.

Shanks was disappointed. "No? Too bad. Well, I'll be going, then." He took another look out of the alley, only to meet eyes with a surprised Marine officer. The Marine's gaze took in Shanks' red hair and straw hat, and then fell to the little girl by Shanks' side. His eyes widened. "I… I found them! Both of them!" he yelled.

"Shit!" Shanks cursed as a large group of Marines appeared out of nowhere and thundered towards them. Shanks quickly wrapped an arm around the girl's waist and hoisted her onto one shoulder. The girl only had time to let out a small gasp at the manhandling before he started sprinting away from their pursuers.

"Sorry about that!" he said to the girl he was carrying sheepishly, before taking a turn that would bring him in the direction of the sea. He hoped the Marines hadn't discovered where the Red Force had been docked. It would be so troublesome to have to find out where the crew had relocated the ship. Thankfully, it was exactly where he had left it.

"Set sail!" Shanks yelled as he rushed up the gangplank. "Marines are coming!"

The crew jumped into action, withdrawing the gangplank once he had reached the deck, and unfurling the sails. The navigator called out instructions which were quickly completed. The ship left the shore with admirable speed, and Shanks watched with glee as the Marines who had arrived at the beach soon became mere blue and white blobs in the distance.

"Everyone on board, Benn?" Shanks called out to his first mate, who he located a distance away on the deck. Benn gave the affirmative, but started walking towards Shanks with a frown on his face.

"Please tell me you didn't have to resort to taking hostage to escape." Benn's expression was disapproving as he looked at the little girl sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs.

Shanks waved off his worries, pouting slightly at the accusation. "No, no, what do you think I am, a kidnapper? The Marines were after her too. I couldn't just leave her there after they discovered us, now could I?" Shanks turned towards the girl and smiled kindly at her when she looked afraid. "Don't worry, we won't hurt you. I'm Shanks, nice to meet you." Shanks extended a hand.

The girl took it rather hesitantly. Then, reassured by his smile, she smiled a bit as well. "R-Robin."

Back on the island, a Marine reported to headquarters through a Den Den Mushi. "I apologize, sir, we were unable to capture the target. However, we do have a lead. It is to be believed that Nico Robin has escaped aboard the ship of Red Haired Shanks."

* * *

"Have you found out why the Marines are after her?" Shanks looked at Benn with a serious expression later that night in the privacy of the captain's quarters.

Benn nodded and handed Shanks a bounty poster. The girl in the picture was unmistakably the girl he had brought onboard. "It was in one of the recent newspapers. Demon Child Nico Robin, bounty 77 million beri. The Marines claim that she sunk six Buster Call ships when she was eight."

Shanks stared at him incredulously. "A little girl did that? How is it even possible? She looks as if she couldn't hurt a flea!"

Benn shrugged. "That's what the information says, and appearances can be deceiving. But you also know better than I that the Marines have lied before to save face."

"That's true," Shanks acknowledged, thinking of how the Marines had boasted to have captured the Pirate King when the truth was that he had turned himself in. He looked pensively again at the bounty poster. "But if the information is indeed a lie, the question now is, why do they want her so badly?"

"My guess is as good as yours."

Undiscovered, an ear attached to the bottom of the desk vanished into a soundless flutter of petals.

* * *

"Robin!" Shanks greeted the girl with a bright smile. "Good morning! Did you sleep well?"

Faced with the enthusiastic greeting, Robin tentatively smiled back. "Yes, thank you," she replied bashfully.

"Come now, no need to be so formal!" the red-haired young man said cheerfully. "Relax, we're not scary people. Old Benn here may look all grim, but he's a nice person, really. Come, Benn, smile more! You're intimidating the poor girl."

"It's probably you that's the problem, Captain. I daresay she thinks you're not quite sane."

Shanks pouted. "I would have you know that the children generally like me very much."

"And little wonder, considering that you're have a maturity level of a five year old," Benn deadpanned.

A girlish giggle interrupted their banter. The pair looked over at Robin, who had her hands clapped over his mouth to prevent more laughter from emerging. She looked apprehensively at them, as if worried that they would be angry. She jumped when Shanks burst out laughing.

"Dahahaha!" Shanks ruffled the girl's hair affectionately. "You should laugh more. Don't be all moody like old Benn over there." Shanks sent her a cheeky wink, tilting his head at the first mate. Benn just rolled his eyes as the girl giggled again, more openly this time.

"_Hey, yer cute when ya laugh. Ya should laugh more. Dereshishishi!"_

"Laugh, and laugh more! We laugh every day, don't we, men?" Shanks grinned at the crew, who cheered in agreement.

"Why?" Robin couldn't help but ask.

"Why? Because we're happy! Life is too short to be spent on unhappy stuff, so we make sure that we enjoy every moment!"

"_Yer laff when yer havin' fun. Dat means, if ya keep laffin', ya'll have mo' fun."_

"Dahahahaha! That makes sense, right? So let's party, everyone!" The cheers were even louder this time as the crew enthusiastically complied with their captain's order.

Watching them, Robin laughed. For the first time since the Ohara incident where she lost everything she held dear, she laughed, a true laugh from her heart. Not forced, not a mask to hide behind.

A large hand reached out to gently wipe away the tears that had unknowingly rolled down her cheeks. Through misty eyes, Robin saw a tender smile and black eyes that looked at her understandingly. Her hands wiped away the remaining moisture from her eyes and she gave Benn a bright, albeit watery, smile. The first mate stood and ruffled her hair the same way his captain had just before.

Shanks ran over and pulled her by the hand into the center of the party. The pirates sang and danced, the captain twirled her around maniacally and the first mate watched their antics with an indulgent smile. And Robin laughed. Just laughed and laughed and laughed.

"_Dereshishishi!"_

* * *

"Why are you a pirate?"

Shanks smiled. "Hmm, how should I answer that? Maybe it'll be better to show you. Come here, Robin."

Curious, she approached where he was leaning against the railing. He brought over a nearby barrel for her to sit on so that she could see over the wooden railing better. "Look out there. What do you see?"

Robin looked out at blue expanse of water, rather confused. "The sea."

"That right. Do you see any islands, or other ships?"

Robin squinted, but the horizon was empty. It was just the same masses of blue all around. "Nope."

"That's why I'm a pirate." When Robin looked at him for clarification, Shanks continued. "The sea is huge, so huge that we can sail for days without seeing an island or another vessel. There's endless adventure, endless beauty to be found. I'm a pirate because pirates are free. Civilians are mostly land-bound, Marines are bound by rules. But as pirates, we have the entire ocean to explore without restriction, sailing the seas wherever we fancy. We're free."

Shanks took off his straw hat, holding it in his hand to look at it nostalgically. "The man who gave me this hat was one of the greatest men who have ever lived. He was a pirate, and it was him who taught me what it truly meant to be free. He was free, more so than anyone else. I want to live like that."

Placing his hat back on his red hair, he turned to grin at Robin. "And that's why I'm a pirate."

A strong gust of wind suddenly swept by them, knocking that precious hat off his head. Shanks gasped and grabbed at it, missing by a hairsbreadth.

Without thinking, she sprouted an arm from the railing to catch the escaping straw hat. The hand caught hold of the brim neatly, and she turned back to come face to face with the stunned expressions of the captain and the nearby crew members who had caught sight of the action.

Ah.

She bit her lower lips, looking at the wooden floor in shame. She had done it again. Would they reject her? Call her a monster, like the villagers of Ohara had?

"Hey, that's really cool, Robin!" someone cried out. Several voices chorused in agreement.

She looked up, disbelieving. There hadn't been any disgust in those voices, no accusation, no jeering.

Shanks walked over to were her disembodied arm was still clutching his straw hat. He took the hat from her grasp and watched in fascination as the limb vanished in a flurry of petals. Jamming the hat back on his head, he grinned at her. "What devil fruit did you eat?"

"…Hana Hana no Mi." To demonstrate, she produced several more waving arms on the railing.

"Wow, that's pretty awesome." Shanks grinned at her and reached out a hand to ruffle her hair. "Thanks for saving my hat, Robin."

"You're not afraid of me?" she asked, her cheeks tinged with a bit of pink at the praise. As far as she had seen, none of the crew had weird abilities like she did. She was different, an outcast. She sprouted a hand on his shoulder and playfully plucked the hat off his head again, replacing it immediately.

But rather than recoiling in disgust at the disembodied limb as she expected, Shanks just shrugged. "Why would I be? I've seen many other Devil Fruit users on the Grand Line. I once sailed with this boy who could split his body into little parts and float around. It was really crazy, but useful enough in a fight, I suppose."

"_I've been to da Grand Line, and I've seen amazing Devil Fruit users. Actually, I envy you. Dereshishi! It looks so convenient, Dereshishishi!"_

This man was so much like Saul. Good, kind Saul who she had befriended and trusted. Perhaps, just perhaps, she could trust Shanks as well.

* * *

"Land-ho!" the man on watch yelled. Immediately there was a flurry of moment on the deck.

"We're going to shore?" Robin looked at the island they were approaching curiously. That was fast, considering that they had just left the last island two days ago.

"We need to get supplies, since we couldn't really stock up in the last island, with those blasted Marines everywhere," Shanks explained.

"Oh…" Robin looked at the island again.

Shanks came to lean against the railing beside Robin. "Hey, Robin, I know that we would put you down on the next island, but… do you want to stay instead?"

Robin's head whipped towards the red-haired captain, surprise written all over her face. Was he really asking her to stay? She stayed silent, not daring to hope that it could be true.

"The crew's gotten really fond of you, especially Benn. That guy may look gruff, but he's a total softie at heart. And it's not just them. I also want you to stay, Robin. We'll protect you from the Marines. It's not like we're on good relations with them anyway, we're pirates after all. So, how about it?"

She had been rejected so many times for what she was, or else betrayed for personal gain. But here was a man who knew of her bounty and devil fruit powers, and was still offering to protect her. He was offering her a place that she could belong to. On his ship, in his crew.

"I understand if you don't want to, I won't force you, of course, but I want you to know that we all want you to become our nakama."

"Can I really?" her voice was still somewhat disbelieving, her eyes hopeful.

Shanks smiled. "Of course! I'll take that as a yes, then!" He ran to the middle of the deck. "Hey, everyone! Robin agreed to stay!"

As the crew roared their approval of her decision, Robin finally felt safe again for the first time in two years.

* * *

Robin didn't follow the company of men who set off to the town to get supplies. A good half of crew had gone, including Shanks and Benn, presumably to be more efficient by splitting up to get different goods. It wouldn't do to linger and risk discovery by Marines, after all. Enough men had been left behind to guard the ship, nevertheless. She knew that they were actually tasked with guarding her as well.

Staring over the railing at the bustling port, Robin wished that the group would return faster. She had a bad feeling about this situation.

When she finally spotted the bright red hair of the captain and the tall figure of the first mate moving towards the ship, she let out a sigh of relief. But one moment later, her heart constricted. Because behind the pirates, she saw a swarm of blue and white charging down the street.

* * *

"Okashira!" a crew member walking near the back cried out suddenly. "We have a problem!"

Turning to look at the man, Shanks spotted a large swarm of Marine soldiers heading their way from behind.

"Red Hair! Hand over Nico Robin! We know you have her!" the leader of the group, a Marine captain, yelled out.

Robin would be safe as long as she stayed on the ship, Shanks knew. The men had sworn to protect her with their lives. The sweet little girl had wormed her way into their weather-beaten old hearts. They wouldn't let any harm come to her.

At any rate, Shanks wasn't planning to let any Marines get anywhere near his ship.

* * *

She shot into her room. Hands sprouted around the small space, picking up the little that she had and bundling them together. She clutched her meager baggage to her chest and cast one final look at the room where she had for a short while felt safe again.

Her vision blurred. A hand sprouted to wipe the moisture away, but the tears kept on coming. She bit her lip, willing herself to stop crying. She had to do this. Because of her, Shanks and his crew had been cornered by Marines. It was all her fault. She was bad luck to anyone who harbored her. She had to leave, for their sake as well as her own. A small voice in her head suggested that Shanks was strong enough to protect her, but she pushed away the traitorous thought. She couldn't take the risk.

Keeping to the shadows, as she had learnt to do too well over the past two years, she crept off the ship. She saw the Red Hair Pirates and Marines facing each other at the dock. A crowd was beginning to form, drawn by the drama unfolding. She easily slipped into the masses, unnoticed by either side.

"Red Hair!" the Marine captain yelled. "We have a proposal for you! Hand over Nico Robin and we'll let you go without a fight!"

Robin started running, didn't wait for Shanks' reply. She knew that she couldn't take it if he betrayed her, couldn't bear to hear rejection from the man that she almost let herself trust. Part of her wanted to stay and believe in him. But she didn't dare to stay, because she didn't want to take the chance of being proven wrong. Even if it meant that she would be giving up the opportunity to be proven right.

* * *

The Marine captain looked so sure that the pirates would comply with their suggestion. So it was natural that he didn't expect Shanks to do what he did.

Shanks laughed in his face. "Like hell I would do that," he returned, smirking. He felt his crew move into battle positions behind him.

The Marines tensed, visibly worried. Red Hair had made quite a name for himself as a skilled swordsman, and the strength of his crew was no joke either, if reports were to be believed.

"These guys are small fry. We need to settle this before they get reinforcements from the base," Shanks told his crew in a low voice so that the Marines wouldn't hear.

"Roger that, Captain." Benn smirked. "It'll take less than a minute."

The rest of the crew grinned maniacally at their first mate's words. And that sealed the poor Marines' fate.

* * *

"Robin!" Shanks called, running around the ship. "Robin!" He checked every room, every corner. He checked the little room that had been hers for the short time she had sailed with them, but it was empty. "Robin…" Returning to the deck without the small form of the girl in sight, his steps slowed to a stop. He had expected this, but it still hurt.

The tap of footsteps behind him alerted him to someone's approach. But it wasn't Robin. The footsteps were too heavy to belong to the girl.

"She's gone," Shanks told Benn dejectedly.

Benn didn't say anything, silently showing his understanding. He, too, was disappointed that Robin had left. All of the crew had grown rather attached to the little girl over the past few days.

Shanks went over the railing and leant against it, gazing outwards.

"Why couldn't you have trusted us a bit more, Robin?" Shanks said sadly, looking out at the wide sea.

* * *

"Hey, Shanks, I think you should see this."

Benn tossed the newspaper he had picked up in town to Shanks. The captain caught it, yawned, and blinked blearily at the headlines. A second later, he had shot upright and was scanning the article eagerly.

"Dahahaha! Looks like Luffy's stirring up a good deal of trouble! Enies Lobby of all places! The kid's got guts." He grinned as he continued reading. "Straw Hat Pirates recently invaded Enies Lobby… Deliberately shot World Government flag as a symbol of rebellion… Whoa, that's heavy stuff. Always so reckless, our Luffy. Hmm? It has been revealed that the Straw Hats attacked Enies Lobby in order to rescue crewmate Nico…Robin…" His voice trailed off, wonderment in his face. He looked up quickly to see Benn smiling.

"I wonder how she's doing," Benn said, knowing that he was echoing what Shanks was thinking.

Shanks looked at the article again to make sure his eyes hadn't deceived him. The words popped out at him, clear and unmistakable. He pulled out the small stack of bounty posters from within the paper. No doubt about it, there she was, her updated poster grouped together with the freshly issued bounties of the other Straw Hats. Robin was now a member of Luffy's crew. A grin split his face.

"I hope she's happy." Shanks let the papers fall onto his chair as he got up to lean against the railing. He looked out at the sea, unconsciously similar to the night after she had left without a word. But this time, he smiled.

"You can trust Luffy, Robin. He'll protect you." He thought of the shy young girl he had met, and the beautiful, strong woman she had become. He gazed out the blue sea, knowing that she was out there sailing with the boy he had placed his hopes on.

"Let's meet again."

* * *

**_Hope you enjoyed it! Do leave a review! I really appreciate them._**

**_I'm proud to say that this story has obtained 106 reviews as of chapter 21, and has become my second fanfic to exceed 100 reviews! Thank you all for supporting this story, and I hope that you will continue to do so until the end! :)_**


	23. You and I

_**Behold the promised Shanks x Makino! The votes for the pairing exceeded the votes against it, so I decided to go for it. I hope it meets your expectations!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**You and I**

**14 - theatre**

**Summary: The princess would not ask the knight to stay by her side, because she couldn't bear to keep him away from the sea**

"Once upon a time, there lived a king with his beautiful daughter. King Benn and Princess Makino ruled over their little kingdom on an island on the Grand Line. They were much loved by the people, and their lives were happy and peaceful."

"That's boring," a young voice interrupted the story.

"Luffy! Don't be rude," a feminine voice admonished.

"Dahahaha! Be patient, anchor. The fun part's coming."

Shanks grinned at the pouting boy and continued his tale. "One day, the evil warlock Yasopp-"

"Hey, why am I the bad guy!?" the blond protested. Shanks ignored him.

"-who lived in the forest heard of the princess' beauty and decided to kidnap the princess! He succeeded and took her away, hiding her in the forest which was protected by sorcery and strange creatures. The royal soldiers who were sent to retrieve the princess were all defeated. Then, a traveler arrived in the kingdom, claiming to be a knight!"

"Why isn't he a pirate?" Luffy asked. "Pirates are cooler."

"They didn't have pirates then, kid. Now stop interrupting me."

The boy looked genuinely sympathetic for the society that didn't have pirates in it but didn't say anything else. Shanks suppressed a grin at his expression.

Returning to his tale, Shanks turned and snatched up an umbrella that had been hanging beside the door. "Hearing of the princess' distress, the brave knight agreed to go save the princess! With his trusty sword, he set out!" He waved the umbrella around valiantly. Several of the men guffawed at the sight.

"Of course, the knight faced obstacles in his quest! The evil Yasopp, knowing of the knight's goal, came to stop him!"

Hearing his cue, Yasopp, now reconciled with his role, sprung into Shanks' way with a sinister grin. "I shall not let you pass, intruder! I will not let you save the princess!" He stepped onto a chair, towering over the room. "Come, my minion!"

Lucky Roo entered the fray. "Rarrr!"

Shanks grinned, grateful to the two men for their cooperation in their makeshift play. The rest of the crew was largely in a state of incoherency, breathless from laughing too much.

"Seeing the monster, the knight bravely fought it! It was a long and difficult battle, but the knight emerged victorious!" Shanks poked Lucky Roo's stomach with the umbrella. The fat man collapsed on the floor with a resounding thud. Luffy cheered.

"The knight then fought with Yasopp the warlock, and defeated him as well!"

"Oh, I have lost!" Yasopp exclaimed dramatically. "Curse you, Sir Knight!" He fell to the ground with flourish.

Luffy whooped.

"With the obstacles thus overcome, the knight charged into the castle and freed the princess!" Shanks swiftly vaulted over the bar.

Makino shrieked in surprise when Shanks swept her up into his arms, bridal-style. "Captain! Put me down! I need to work!"

Shanks grinned roguishly and uttered disapproving noises. "No, no, the princess should be more grateful towards her rescuer! How about a kiss, lovely princess?"

Makino blushed at the pirate's flirting and gently smacked him on the arm. "I would be grateful if you put me down!"

Shanks pretended to be wounded. "Oh, my poor heart! To face rejection from this lovely maiden. So cold, my dear!"

"Continue the story!" Luffy called out impatiently.

Shanks just laughed and complied with the demand. "Fine, fine. So the knight gallantly brought the princess back to her father's side." He spun around the room with a protesting Makino still in his arms before finally set the girl down next to Benn. The two shared a long suffering look as Shanks resumed his tale. But neither could resist smiling at the captain's enthusiasm.

"King Benn was so grateful that he offered the knight a place in his court. But the knight didn't want to stay!" Shanks grinned at Luffy. "And do you know why, anchor?"

"He wants to be free!" Luffy answered promptly with a matching grin.

"Yes!" Shanks dramatically leapt onto the table and struck a pose with his umbrella. Makino resisted the urge to burst into laughter at the ridiculous image by clapping a hand over her mouth. Beside her, Benn snorted. Yasopp and the rest of the crew were less subtle, already rolling on the ground with laughter.

Shanks was unfazed at their mirth, focusing only on the young boy who was still watching him with rapt attention. "The knight didn't want to be tied to the court! He wanted freedom, and so he turned down the king's offer. Thus, with his quest to save the princess completed, the knight rode off into the sunset, seeking new adventure!"

"He became a pirate!"

Shanks took a liking to the boy's idea and embellished his tale with it. "And so he did! Knowing that the adventure he could find on land was limited, he took to sea! And became the first pirate!"

Luffy's eyes were shining. "That's so cool!"

Shanks ruffled Luffy's hair. "Ain't it, kid?"

"I'm gonna be a pirate! And don't call me a kid!"

"Dahahaha! You can't even swim, anchor. What kind of pirate can't swim?"

Luffy gritted his teeth. "One day, I'll swim better than you!"

"Oh really?" Shanks teased.

The others watched this familiar exchange fondly. Makino smiled and took a cloth to wipe some spilled ale on a table.

"Why didn't the princess tell the knight to stay?"

Her smile turned a little melancholic at the quiet question.

"The princess knew that she couldn't possibly keep her knight away from the adventure that he loved." She looked up to meet Benn's gaze. "She couldn't bear to take that joy away from him."

"Perhaps he would be happy with the princess. The princess never asked, after all."

"The knight is happy now, sailing the seas in search for more adventure."

"Theatre may be derived from real life, but life doesn't have to mirror theatre, my dear," Benn said softly.

Makino's eyes were sad. "But even so, would he stay?"

"He would, if she had told him to stay," Yasopp interjected gently.

"But she didn't," she said, and she saw the truth of her words in his eyes. "She couldn't bear to keep him away from the sea he loved."

"Your story doesn't have to be like mine, Makino."

Makino didn't answer, but they all knew what her decision would be.

She would let go, because that was what she felt that she had to do. For both their sakes, they would become like the characters in the play, fated to meet and then part.

* * *

**_Gah, I just can't stay away from melancholy, can I? Though this is the reality of this pairing, the bittersweet feel of love and separation. :( _****_That said, remember the baby Makino was carrying in that one manga cover? I'm REALLY hoping that the dad is Shanks._**

**_Anyway, I hope you liked it! Please review!_**


	24. For As Long As Was Needed

_**I'm in the middle of a trial examination now, but I thought I'll update anyway since I have this chapter written already. :D**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**Warning: Rating is higher than usual because of deaths in battle.**_

* * *

**For As Long As Was Needed**

**#23 replacement**

**Summary: He was the right-hand man of Red Hair Shanks, but for the time necessary, he would be his left arm as well.**

Shanks laughed in delight as he clashed swords with the enemy captain. His opponent was obviously outmatched, but it wasn't a bad workout. Either way, Shanks was prodigiously entertained.

Boy, was he glad to be up and about again! After the injury he sustained in Foosha, the crew's doctor had expressly forbidden Shanks from taking part in any form of strenuous activity, which naturally included sword fights. Thus Shanks had been absolutely itching for battle.

He had to commend this pirate crew somewhat, daring to challenge a Yonko. The Yonko were not known as emperors for nothing. A more ruthless one, for example Kaidou or Big Mom, would have made short work of this daring crew and annihilated them all. Whitebeard may either get rid of them or take them in, depending on his mood.

Red Haired Shanks could respect their bravery and would let them go without major fatalities. After beating them senseless, of course. No reason to miss the chance for some good fun.

Yet the thrill from this battle simply couldn't match up to that of a truly skilled opponent. Maybe he should give Mihawk a visit sometime soon. It had been too long since he had last seen the swordsman. But for now, this battle had to suffice. It wasn't every day that someone worked up the courage to fight Red-Haired Shanks on a one-to-one fight, after all.

At least, it had been a one-to-one fight until an unexpected trick by the enemy changed the tide of the battle.

Without warning, a man charged in with a roar from his left, wielding a huge axe.

His sword was locked in combat with the enemy captain. Previously, Shanks could have easily drawn his second sword to deflect the new attack without breaking a sweat. But he could no longer do so. And the enemy knew it.

Meeting eyes with his opponent, he saw vindictive triumph in those eyes. The bastard had planned this, deliberately exploiting Shanks' new weakness.

The red-haired pirate narrowed his eyes in distaste. It appeared that he had overestimated the enemy. There was no honor in this man.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a few of the closer crew members turn to aid their captain. They cried in outrage at the enemy's underhanded trick to attack Shanks' more vulnerable left side. But Shanks could tell that they couldn't possibly reach him in time, locking in their own fights as they were.

The axe swung closer and closer. The man let out a crow of triumph, confident that he would be the one to take down one of famed Yonko.

And suddenly, the man was dead. The axe fell lifelessly from his hand and embedded itself in the wood of the deck.

Shanks didn't even blink.

Finding an opening, he ran his sword through the foolish pirate captain who dared to make an enemy of a Yonko. It was not a fatal wound if treated properly, but effectively disabled his opponent. The man fell to the ground with a howl.

"Did you really think that you could take out the captain by targeting his left side?" A member of the Red Hair Pirates jeered from somewhere in the crowd.

Shanks stared down at the enemy captain with dispassionately. "Get out of my sight."

But the man wasn't done yet with his tricks. The captain, in a last desperate attempt to take the life of the Yonko, whipped out a gun to shoot at Shanks.

A sharp retort rang through the air.

The handgun clattered to the wooden floor, followed by the thump of its lifeless owner. Panicked cries rose from the enemy crew as they witnessed their captain's instant death.

Across the deck, Benn Beckman wordlessly tucked his rifle back into his sash. His gaze met Shanks' for a brief moment. No words were exchanged between the two, but there was a mutual understanding and trust between captain and first-mate.

One day, Shanks would learn to reflexively guard both sides with his one remaining arm.

But until then, Benn would fight and protect in the place of that lost arm.

* * *

**_Please review!_**


	25. Down the Rabbit Hole

_**I struggled with this prompt for a while. But finally, I settled on this! "gravity" led to "falling" which linked to "hole" and thus the theme of this one-shot is... (da-dum) Read on and you'll see. ;)**_

* * *

**Down the Rabbit Hole**

**#17 gravity**

**Summary: It all started with a White Rabbit with a pocket-watch... and simply went down from there.**

"I'm bored," Shanks told the sky gloomily. They had recently docked and their shipwright had basically kicked everyone except for his assistants off the ship, citing that he had to do repairs to the ship after their latest skirmish with the Marines.

Out of the crew, some had been sent out to find food in the forest, because for all the lush greenery that grew in this place, the island in uninhabited. Shanks idly wondered why, but didn't think too much about it – it was a Grand Line island after all. But thus, as a result, Shanks was left with no town to explore, and a swift foray into the forest had revealed nothing more than endless trees, arranged in a surprisingly neat fashion.

"Argh, should have gone with the supplies group…"

"Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!"

The sudden voice, unfamiliar to Shanks, made the boy glance over in surprise in search of its owner. His eyes widened at the sight that greeted him.

It was a talking white _rabbit_ wearing a _waistcoat_ and looking rather worriedly at the _pocket-watch_ in its hand. Wait, do rabbits have _hands_? Well, it was standing upright, on its hind feet, so it must be so.

But Shanks didn't really see those things. What Shanks saw was plain and simple – adventure.

Therefore, when the rabbit continued hurriedly on its way, Shanks immediately leapt to his feet and followed the animal. The rabbit jumped into a large rabbit hole dug in the ground, and the boy followed it without hesitation. He wasn't about to let this chance go.

* * *

He fell into a spacious hallway with a single table in its center. Doors of various sizes lined both walls. The white rabbit was nowhere in sight, but Shanks wasn't overly affected by it – this situation was adventure enough, even without a talking rabbit. Moving closer to the table, he discovered three items placed on it. Picking up the key, which he swore to find the lock it could open later, he inspected to vial of liquid and piece of cake that was left.

He slipped the vial that was tagged with "DRINK ME" into his pocket, keeping the cake in his free hand as he strolled down the hallway to inspect the doors. The

Idly, he popped the small cake into his mouth, finding it a little too sweet for his liking. He tested the key on a smaller door than before. It was pretty awkward, as the keyhole was lower than usual. Wait. Was the floor getting further away?

A glance at the ceiling revealed that it was much closer than before, and he was actually feeling cramped in the large hallway.

"Ow!" Shanks cursed as his head hit the ceiling. "What the hell?"

He looked at the cake in sudden realization. A thought crossed his mind that the vial could possibly contain the antidote to whatever had been in the dessert. Hurriedly, he fumbled in his pocket for it, which was a difficult endeavor when one had to almost bend in half to fit in the hallway.

The vial, when finally extracted, was curiously the same size as it had been before, making it extremely problematic for him to uncork it. But with effort, he managed it and took a swig from it. He ended up finishing the entire contents of the bottle. He wondered inanely whether this was how giants felt when drinking from human-sized tankards.

That thought didn't last long, though, as he immediately started shrinking, much to his relief. Sighing, he stretched his back, finally able to straighten it again.

He reached down to pick up the key he had dropped and his fingers encountered a piece of metal that was much larger than he had remembered. He gaped at the key that was now as long as his arm. Or more accurately, it could be said that his arm was now the same length as the key.

"Great, now I'm too small!" he complained. This was shaping up into a very weird adventure indeed.

On the bright side, this new vantage point set him level with a small door that he had not noticed before. The keyhole looked to be a size that the key could fit into nicely too. Excited, he ran towards it with the key slung over his shoulder, and slotted the key into the keyhole. It fit snugly, and when Shanks turned it the lock opened with a distinctive click and the door swung open.

Shanks gaped at the garden that spread out before him, with flowers that were taller than him and grass that reached his waist. And beyond it, he faintly saw the shadows cast by enormous trees. He grinned.

"Adventure, here I come!"

* * *

He was panting by the time he had trekked across the garden and into the forest. Navigating the forest was a problem when one was six inches tall, he realized. Moving over the roots protruding from the uneven floor was like vaulting over tables when running away from the angry men in a bar.

A flash of yellow caught his attention and headed in its direction curiously, coming to a clearing containing a large black mushroom in its center. He paused and gawked at the sight that greeted him.

On the black mushroom was a yellow-striped caterpillar, with a messy mane of dirty gold hair cascading down its back. It had its back to Shanks, but he could see a tendril of smoke rising from its front.

Shanks blinked, rubbed his eyes, and stared again. Sure enough, the peculiar entity was still there. "Shiki!?"

The Shiki-caterpillar turned to stare at him languidly, puffing at its thick cigar.

Shanks was immediately on guard, hands reaching towards his swords.

"What, boy?"

Shiki (or was it really Shiki, because the Shiki he knew was definitely not a caterpillar) made no sign of recognizing him. But the real Shiki probably wouldn't be bothered to notice any of his rivals' crew members, let alone a cabin boy. So the question remained – was this Shiki? He doubted that he would get an answer.

Shanks relaxed slightly with the caterpillar's unthreatening reaction, but didn't completely let his guard down.

"A tiny thing, aren't you?"

Shanks wanted to retort that it was just as small, and in fact somewhat smaller, being a caterpillar. "So, is there a way for me to get bigger?"

"You just have to eat," was the bored reply.

A tick popped on Shanks' forehead. Wasn't it enough that he got teased by the crew about his height (he'll hit a growth spurt, just watch!)? He had to be scorned by a caterpillar too?

"…The mushroom."

Halfway through stomping away in irritation, Shanks froze at the caterpillar's continuation. His gaze snapped back to the oversized bug. Huh?

"One side will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you grow shorter."

With that parting line, Shiki-caterpillar crawled off the mushroom and headed further into the forest on its many legs. Shanks couldn't help but stare after it in fascination.

Tearing his gaze away from its wobbly movements with difficulty, he began to inspect the mushroom in earnest.

Apparently it had the ability to change his size, just like the cake and potion. But Shiki was an enemy. What if this was a trap, and it was a poisonous mushroom? He had to admit that it looked pretty ominous with its dark color. Would he rather stay this size, or risk being poisoned?

With a last glance at the black mushroom, he continued on his way.

* * *

There was a very large cat on a tree. Shanks was surprised that the branch that it sat on had not broken from its weight. And as if that wasn't strange enough (was anything in this place normal?), the cat had a crescent moon monstrosity of facial hair above its wide grin. Shanks stared back apprehensively at the feline Whitebeard lookalike.

Whitebeard-cat's smirk grew wider at his stunned expression. It finally opened it mouth to speak, still retaining its smug look. "Are you going to see the March Hare, red-haired brat?"

Shanks didn't know, actually. He shrugged. "If this road leads me to it, I suppose yes."

"In that direction," the Cat said, waving its right paw round, "lives a Hatter: and in that direction," waving the other paw, "lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad."

With that, it disappeared, leaving only its wide smile and curved mustache. Creepy.

Shaking the strangeness off, he considered the directions that the cat had given. It wouldn't hurt to check the places out, he supposed.

Walking along the path, he soon reached what must undoubtedly be the home of the March Hare, by the rabbit-ear design of the chimneys. In front of the house, a long table was set out, piled full of tea things.

Three figures sat at one end. Shanks' eyes widened at the sight of another familiar face.

"Captain!" Shanks called out, relieved to finally find a break in the strangeness. But it seemed that this weird reality (or was it a dream?) wasn't quite done yet. Because Roger's companion was no doubt Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp, his longtime nemesis. In fact they were both inexplicably crowded on one end of the large table together, having what looked like an amiable conversation over the head of a sleeping young boy seated between them.

…That wasn't possible, was it?

Then again, after the Shiki-caterpillar and Whitebeard-cat-face, nothing could surprise him any longer. Not even the rabbit ears growing out of Roger's trademark straw hat. He wondered who the little boy was, though. He looked younger than ten, maybe even closer to five with his innocent sleeping face.

It was definitely a very unusual situation overall, so Shanks felt compelled to ask, "Erm, captain, what are you doing?"

"Having tea," Roger replied, munching on a scone. "Why don't you join us, Shanks?"

"It's always 6 o'clock, and so it is always time for tea," Garp explained calmly, as if it were perfectly normal for a pirate and a marine to have tea together.

Shanks sweat-dropped.

"Food…" the little boy mumbled, suddenly waking up and climbing onto the table. Shanks finally noticed that he had mouse ears sprouting out of his ruffled black hair and a stitched scar beneath his left eye. Shanks watched as the child settled down next to a mountain of cakes and start inhaling everything on the plate at an alarming rate. It was gone in no time flat, and the boy fell asleep again on the table.

A commotion from the two adults shifted Shanks' attention away from the boy back towards the enemies who were now bickering.

"You're the one who insulted the King, Roger!"

"It was your singing that was so horrible that Time was offended, Garp!"

"My singing is perfectly fine!"

"It obviously is not!"

"Is too!"

The utter childishness of this exchange aside, this was infinitely more normal that the previous set-up. So they weren't completely amiable after all. All was well with the world.

* * *

Shanks continued down a path he had found behind the March Hare's house, munching on the handful of pastries he had nicked from the table before left the tea party.

It led him to a fancy-looking garden full of rose bushes, where half the roses were red and half were white… and two card-soldiers were painting the white roses with red paint?

"What are you doing?"

One of the card-soldiers glanced up but didn't stop in his task. "The King of Hearts dislikes white roses, so we were ordered to paint them red."

That sounded stupid, and Shanks was able to say as much when a new voice called out accompanied by trumpets, "His Majesty the King of Hearts!"

The two card soldiers immediately jumped to attention, paint brushes falling to the ground unheeded. Shanks turned as well to see what kind of person this king was.

"…Buggy!? You're here too?"

The soldiers were obviously flustered by his exclamation. "Don't you know who you're talking to? That's the King of Hearts!"

"How dare you flashily talk to me so disrespectfully, you flashy red-head!?"

"Who died and made you king, red nose?"

The clown puffed up in indignation. "Off with his head!" Buggy screeched.

Card-soldiers scramble to surround Shanks, intent on taking him into custody. Shanks unsheathes his twin swords, warning them not to come any closer. They were just paper, after all, and he could cut them into ribbons easily. Wisely, they form a circle a respectable distance away from him.

His eyes returned to Buggy, who was practically jumping up and down in rage. A movement slightly behind the other boy made Shanks' gaze slip beyond Buggy to the back of the same white rabbit that had led him into this mess.

As if it had sensed his gaze, the white rabbit turned towards him and was now looking at him gravely from behind round glasses. Had those glasses been there before? The rabbit's fur was not as white he had remembered too, leaning towards yellow, but he was sure that it was the same rabbit. He puzzled over this change until the rabbit opened its mouth to speak to him in a very familiar voice…

"Isn't it about time you woke up, Shanks?" Rayleigh asked.

Shanks' eyes snapped open to be greeted with the sight of the first mate smirking down at him in amusement. The boy rubbed his eyes and looked around in astonishment. No rabbit, no "King of Hearts" Buggy, no card soldiers.

"Master Rayleigh?" he managed in confusion. Rayleigh chuckled at the boy's disorientation.

"Come on, it's time to get back on the ship. There strangely doesn't seem to be any wildlife here, so we're moving on to the next island for supplies."

Shanks groggily followed the older man back towards where the ship had been docked.

"A dream?" he mumbled to himself. But it had felt so real, even with the strangeness.

Shrugging, he walked up the gangplank, hands in pockets. A splash of red paint covered one shoe and he recalled how the card-soldiers had dropped their paintbrushes. He cast a final look at the mysterious island before hurrying up to the ship at Rayleigh's impatient call. As he turned away, he could have sworn that he saw a flash of white fur between the trees. But when he glanced back again, it was gone, and the island was as motionless as before.

It was a mystery, one that he knew he would never completely understand. But then again, that sense of mystery was what made adventures so very interesting.

Is it possible for fairytales to come to life?

Why not? It's the Grand Line, after all.

* * *

**_Trivia regarding the original Alice in Wonderland: Sir John Tenniel's illustration shows the March Hare with straw on his head, a common way to depict madness in Victorian times. _****_You see why I put Roger in the role of the March Hare now, don't you? Hahaha._**

**_I hope you liked it! Please review!_**

**_PS - Out of the remaining prompts, I'm having trouble coming up with a suitable story for the prompt "negative". If any of you have any ideas for this, please include it in your review! I really don't know what to do with this prompt. Any suggestions would be helpful! :)_**


	26. Never Forget

_**It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm really sorry, and I hope that this update will make up for the lateness. I rather like how it turned out. :)**_

_**Remember "negative"? I looked over your suggestions (which were all great) and finally found inspiration! Thank you to all reviewers who took the time to think of suggestions, and in particular kokune whose idea I used in the end!**_

_**I hope that all of you like it! Countdown: 5**_

* * *

**Never Forget**

**#19 negative**

**Summary: Each precious picture was engraved within their hearts, much deeper than it could ever be imprinted on paper.**

Hidden in a drawer in the captain's cabin, far away from the sun and prying eyes, a tiny inconspicuous roll of dark material is tucked into a strip of cloth.

Even without seeing it, its owner could still remember its contents clear as day – the scenes were imprinted in his mind, just like how they were imprinted on the film. A series of photo negatives, carefully stored, told a precious story with each picture.

A red-haired boy, sound asleep with his head in his captain's lap. The dark-haired man had similarly dozed off. Neither was aware of the fond looks from the crew nor awakened by the soft click of a shutter as the first mate immortalized the moment.

The same boy, holding a wooden stick, charges at a blond man. A single glance by a veteran fighter would detect flaws in that stance, but no lack of courage or determination. A simple sidestep is sufficient to avoid the swung weapon completely. The man says something, critically, and tells his young pupil to try again. Another charge, a marginally improved form, no less fire in those young eyes. The captain, watching from the sidelines, captures the smugly approving expression on the first mate's face that briefly replaced the stern façade.

Two young boys, sitting huffily side by side on the deck looking opposite ways, obviously annoyed with each other over their latest argument of a minute ago. A click, identical surprised blinks and two pairs of eyes snapped towards the source of the sound. Disagreement was forgotten in favor of chasing the laughing captain across the ship. Neither realized that the camera had at some point left the black-haired man's hands. Another click, this one unheard over the ruckus, and the first mate stowed the item away from harm with a satisfied smirk.

A sea of clouds, a brand new world to discover, spread out all around them. A boy asks for the camera to capture this moment. Careful positioning to find the angle that would present the most beautiful image, a photo is taken. And if anyone noticed how the picture included the proud, laughing figure standing at the ship's bow, no one mentioned it.

A group of merry men, with laughing faces and arms around each other, call out to the photographer to somehow join them in the family portrait. The photographer, stubbornly behind the camera, rolls his eyes and snaps the photo in all its chaotic glory. The next photograph is even messier, slanting slightly to one side and featuring half a black mustache and wide grin covering a good chunk of the picture. Behind the new photographer (who had attempted, with moderate success, to include himself in the portrait), an additional man had joined the ranks, their first mate having been unceremoniously dragged away from this post behind the camera while their captain took charge of the device.

The last photo, just as precious as the rest, only had in it a ship sailing away into the horizon. The camera had failed to capture what was behind its lens – the tears and desperate faces – but if one looked carefully enough, it had immortalized one thing that by itself spoke volumes of the sorrow felt by all – the single figure that stood on the deck of the ship as it sailed, when there should have been others, standing beside him.

All those memories were carefully stored upon dark paper, to be revealed if there ever was the need. But there never was, nor never would be, because those pictures were already engraved in the hearts of those who matter much, much deeper than it had been printed on paper. So those negatives stayed in their hiding place in the drawer, unsullied by the ignorant world, the secret memoirs of the Pirate King and those who loved him.

* * *

_**You know the drill. ;) I look forward to your reviews!**_

_**PS - On an additional note, I'm doing my best to explore new styles and content using the remaining few prompts, so I hope that you can be patient if updates are a little slower than usual. At least 2 of the currently half-done chapters have me stepping into pretty new territory, so I hope that you enjoy them too! See you again soon!**_

**Question: I'm thinking of doing another cameo appearance chapter. Which character or group would you like to see in this series? :)**


	27. Betting on the New Age

_**I got two suggestions for cameo appearances - Zeff + Baratie crew, and Mihawk. And I thought, why not all at once?**_

_**This is actually an idea that I have been working for quite a while, using different prompts, though it kept getting replaced by the stories that I eventually published. But finally, it's done! So I hope you like it!**_

_**In my headcanon, Zeff was one of Roger's allies during his one year in Grand Line. It's something I'm considering writing a fic about in the future.**_

* * *

**Betting on the New Age**

**9 - determination**

**Summary: The world will be shaped by the new generation. Three men put their hopes on three boys who will one day go down in history.**

"Isn't that Red Hair, the Yonko?" Whispers abounded in the enclosed space of the floating restaurant, customers and staff sneaking cautious glances at him.

"What's a pirate as notorious as him doing in East Blue?" Patty wondered aloud to Carne, the two of them unabashedly sticking their heads out of the kitchen door to stare at the unexpected customer.

The red-haired young man lounged in his chair, completely unconcerned about the attention he was attracting. One of the chefs propelled the new waiter (poor man) in the direction of that table. The waiter squeaked and approached the pirates with quaking legs.

"Get back to the kitchen, you idiots!" The bark came one second before a wooden peg leg slammed into the back of their heads in quick succession.

"Head chef!"

"What are you waiting for? Get going!"

There was a general scramble to get back to their posts in the kitchen. Zeff took a glance at the shaking waiter and rolled his eyes. "You." The waiter must have jumped a foot in the air. "Go wait on the other tables. I've got this settled."

The man couldn't have gone away faster.

Peg leg clicking against the hard floor, Zeff walked towards the table occupied by the Red Hair Pirates with an imposing frown. He stopped next to Shanks, who was grinning cheekily up at him. He smirked.

"Well, if it isn't the red-haired brat."

Shanks laughed, not in the least concerned by the less-than-polite greeting. "So it really is you, old man! I heard rumors of a floating restaurant owned by a chef with a fancy mustache and came. I like your new style, by the way." Shanks winked. "Braided. Very fashionable."

"Impudent brat." Zeff rolled his eyes. He had met Shanks many years ago, having encountered the Pirate King's crew during his one-year journey in Grand Line. He may be a Yonko now, but was still a brat in his eyes.

Zeff's eyes landed on the empty sleeve where Shanks' left arm should have been. "I've heard some interesting rumors about you as well, Shanks. But news of a one-armed Yonko is not one of them."

Shanks' smile was wistful and a little pained. "So you noticed, huh? I don't think anyone else here has, though."

"They will when you start eating. I daresay you don't want some ignorant civilians to be the first to find out. Come, we'll talk in a more private place."

The chef started away, his wooden leg clicking. Shanks rose to follow him. His eyes took in the peg leg.

"What's your story, Red Leg?"

"I daresay it's not too different from yours."

Shanks had guessed as much. "A child?"

Zeff's mouth curved into a smirk, but he didn't reply. They approached the door leading to the kitchen. Zeff pushed it open. "Eggplant!" he hollered.

"I have a name, shitty geezer!" a young boy's voice yelled back.

Zeff ignored the retort. "One serving of today's special! I've already prepared everything, just dish it out and send it to the back room."

"I'm not a waiter, geezer!"

"I'm telling you to do something, so just do it, brat!"

Zeff gestured for Shanks to follow into towards the back of the restaurant, away from the main dining area. He chuckled as he met Shanks' eyes again. "A child," he affirmed.

In the small private dining room at the back, Zeff fetched a bottle of wine, pouring two glasses. He raised his with a heartfelt toast and Shanks mirrored the gesture.

"To the sea, and betting on the New Age! May we never regret it!"

* * *

"You lost an arm. To a sea king."

Shanks chuckled a little nervously at the chilly statement. "Come on, Hawk-Eyes! Your reaction is even scarier than Master Rayleigh's." He didn't quite dare to tell his friend and rival that it technically hadn't even been a sea king.

"Why? What could be worth sacrificing yourself for?"

"A boy, Hawk-Eyes. A boy with courage and dreams bigger than himself, maybe even bigger than this world. And I would do it again, if there was ever there's the need."

"You don't regret it?" Mihawk's tone was incredulous.

"Not at all." Shanks was resolute.

The swordsman sighed. "I really don't understand you sometimes."

"And for your sake, I hope that you will one day."

"I doubt it."

Shanks just smiled. "We'll see."

* * *

Zeff watched the swordsman unsheathe Yoru and slice the youth across the chest. Blood spurted, but Zeff knew that Mihawk's intention was not to kill, and thus the boy was not dead, despite the common belief.

He watched the dark-haired boy who jumped up to rage at the swordsman, recognizing the straw hat that had once been on a certain red-haired youth's head.

His gaze then shifted to the shitty eggplant who he knew wished to join this strange crew but was held back by his idiotic guilt and pride.

Was it Fate? Perhaps.

* * *

The front door of the Baratie swung open. The waiter, in the middle of arranging the cutlery on the tables, looked up.

"I'm sorry, the restaurant isn't open ye-" His words died in his throat. "You! You are-"

The clunk of a wooden leg drew the attention of both the waiter and the visitor. Zeff smirked beneath his braided mustache. "So you've come, Hawk-Eyes."

* * *

"S-Sir! There have been reports that Red Hair Shanks has been sighted in Sambas Region of East Blue!"

The commanding officer of the Marine branch of East Blue looked pensive. "Put surveillance on Red Hair and his crew, but do not make any moves yet. We're not equipped to deal with a pirate of his caliber. Report immediately if there is any suspicious activity."

"Yes, sir!

* * *

A most peculiar group sat at a table in a corner of the Baratie's dining room, way before the opening time of the restaurant. The cooks and waiters couldn't help but keep sneaking glances at the trio every now and then in between their preparations for the day.

Zeff calmly sipped his coffee, ignoring the fact that his two companions were drawing no little attention from the staff. "Troublesome brats, always making us worry about them," he started casually.

Shanks likewise took a drink from his cup and grinned. "But they'll make us proud in the end, that's for sure.

"The shitty eggplant?" Zeff snorted. Then he grinned as well. "Maybe."

Shanks sneaked a look at the silent third member of their group. "Well, Hawk-eyes? You're the only one who knows where his protégé is at the moment. Care to shed some light on the situation?"

Mihawk rolled his eyes. "If I know where that boy is, it's not by choice, I can tell you that. That green-haired brat is ruining my relaxation time."

Shanks just looked at him with a knowing smile. He knew that the swordsman cared a lot more about his apprentice and challenger than he would ever let on. Mihawk, seeing the red-head's expression, scowled.

"Apparently their plan is to train separately for two years before reuniting," Mihawk finally relented.

"Hmm… That would make the date for their regrouping… about half a year from now?" Shanks said after thinking a bit.

"Yes, I believe that is correct."

Silence settled, a comfortable one, as they thought of the young crew who had grown so much.

"Will the boy be able to surpass you, Hawk-Eyes?" Shanks voiced out the question that was on all of their minds. Shanks and Zeff believed in the young man, but the ultimate question was whether Mihawk did, being the one who knew him the best out of the three of them.

Mihawk was silent, staring into his wineglass. "Right now? No. But in the future…" he smirked, taking a sip of red wine. "Perhaps."

* * *

In the New World, a red-haired man laughed in delight at the article his first mate had passed him, and yelled out to the approving crew that they were having a celebratory party.

In East Blue, a blond man sat on the deck of his pride and joy, reading about his other pride and joy in the newspaper, smirking smugly.

In the Grand Line, a dark-haired man read the news with his usual expressionless face, while a pink-haired girl reported (and complained) about the happenings at Sabaody. But an observant onlooker would be able to detect the slight hint of pride in his eyes, and indeed the pink-haired girl left the room soon after, a knowing smile on her lips.

"Go forward!" they all thought, "You can reach the top! We are waiting."

* * *

_**Thanks for reading! Do leave a review!**_

_**Also, do check out my new One Piece forum, it's a forum for fanfic challenges, with the very straightforward name "One Piece Challenges". The more the merrier, so do drop by! There are topics for random and OP-related chat too! :) The link is below, just add a "www . fanfiction . net " in front.**_

_**/forum/One-Piece-Challenges/133165/**_


	28. I Have Seen the Spider

_**Entry number 28! Wow, I almost can't believe I've gotten so far. It's all thanks to you lovely reviewers! Thank you for the support! Hope that you will continue reading until the end!**_

_**As I mentioned before, I am attempting to explore new styles and themes in these last few chapters, so I hope that you will bear with me! It took me a pretty long time to complete this chapter, so I hope that you will like it. (Gah, haven't been actually **_**worried**_** to post a chapter for a while)**_

_**Warning: Rated T for implied violence**_

* * *

**I Have Seen The Spider**

**#11 spider web**

**Summary: They foolishly didn't realize that the doom that had been woven was not his, but their own.**

"My captain will get you for this!" Shanks yelled at his captors. He was duly ignored, much to his ire. Moodily, his fingers continued to pick at the ropes that bound his hands, but he was having no luck there, even after an hour.

Footsteps neared, and the man Shanks recognized at the enemy captain came to a stop in front of him, looking down at him disdainfully. The boy glared back.

"C-captain, are you sure this is a good idea?" a member of the crew asked shakily. "Haven't rumors said that the Roger Pirates are a powerful lot?"

Squard scoffed. "That crew has what, ten members? And one is a child, who knows what kind of lousy people they have. I don't care if their captain has been called a super rookie or some shit like that, they can't match up to the power of the Maelstrom Spiders."

The entire crew looked much more encouraged at their captain's words.

Shanks, however, was angry. "Don't underestimate my crew! I bet Captain could squash all of you without even breaking a sweat."

"Now listen here, brat," a man pulled him up painfully by his hair, "Don't you go insulting us. You never know when someone may decide that you're too much of a nuisance after all and off you just like that." He roughly threw the boy back onto the floor, adding a sharp kick for good measure. Shanks gasped, curling into a fetal position at the sudden pain.

The rest of the crew guffawed as they left the room, confidence regained after their captain's speech, unaffected by the boy's threatens.

* * *

"I am here, Squard! Return my boy!"

"I don't think you are in any position to make demands, Roger! Why don't you ask in a nicer way, and maybe we will consider giving you back your brat. Come, let us hear you beg!"

"Don't talk to my captain like that, you ba-"

Wincing as the punch hit his bruise already bruised stomach, Shanks could only let an unidentified member of the enemy crew drag him roughly to the deck. The moment he reached the open space he heard enraged yells from his crew. Relief coursed through him. They really were here. His eyes, though one was almost swollen shut, greedily took in the sight of the Oro Jackson and its crew. And that man who stood proud and strong as always at its bow.

"…Please. Return him to me."

The Maelstorm Spider Pirates burst out laughing. "That's more like it! Looks like he knows his place! But it's not enough, is it?" Squard looked cockily over his shoulder at his crew, who hooted.

"Get to your knees, cur!" someone yelled out.

"Why you-!" Gaban yelled, but a raised hand from Roger silenced him. He stepped back, but very unhappily.

Shanks could only watch helplessly as his captain dropped to his knees. On the Oro Jackson, the crew looked positively murderous, but could not act without Roger's orders.

Squard snorted at Roger's decision, no doubt seeing it as a lack of backbone. He threw back his head and laughed. "Well, since you asked so nicely…" he gestured at the man holding Shanks. "Let the brat go."

The enemy crew member untied him and kicked him roughly towards the Oro Jackson. He stumbled forward clumsily, his legs numb from being tied up. He winced as he put pressure on his sprained ankle, tumbling down onto the deck halfway. The enemy jeered at his plight. Shanks bit his lip as he struggled to get back up, ignoring the pain. He pushed himself halfway up with his arms, but his wrists, raw from rope burns, groaned at the pressure.

In his line of sight, a pair of booted feet appeared. Familiar ones, the boots being a pair that he had picked out as a present with Master Rayleigh's help. His gaze traveled upwards, and sure enough there was that dearly missed face.

"Captain!" the relief in his voice was apparent. He smiled, rather painfully with the bruise blossoming on his right cheek, at the man he saw (rightfully) as the strongest in the world. In his young mind, he registered that his captain was here, and by that merit everything would be alright.

He didn't realize that his captain in turn saw the boy he had come to see as his own son, battered, bruised and bloody, lying in pain on the wooden deck when he should be up and smiling.

Strong yet gentle hands lifted the boy effortlessly off the floor into a comforting embrace. Eyes half hidden in the shadow of a straw hat sent a warning to the enemy pirates not to advance before he turned to head back to his ship. The Maelstrom Spiders flinched involuntarily, hands going to weapons at the threat, but none attacked.

Shanks looked up at his captain's face and a shiver ran through his spine. "C-Captain?"

Roger wordlessly handed Shanks into Rayleigh's care, and then turned back to his opponents, his sword unsheathed from its scabbard with a menacing scrapping sound. By the horrified expressions of the other crew, Shanks knew that his captain must be still wearing the monstrous, terrifying glare he had glimpsed just now. With wide eyes, the boy stared at his captain's back which was moving away with slow, predatory steps.

Rayleigh let out a small gasp that made Shanks' attention snap to the first mate. The older man's expression was almost panicked.

"Dammit, he's snapped! Roger!" Rayleigh yelled, but it was too late. With Shanks in his arms, he could not go forward to stop his friend. He knew that Roger had deliberately made it so.

Their small crew stood aboard the deck of their ship, frozen and unable to act. They knew that their captain had gone to a place that it was not wise to follow. Their eyes were all drawn to the bloody scene, as one always is when witnesses something grotesque.

Crocus took Shanks gently from Rayleigh then, saying that he needed to look over the boy's wounds in the infirmary. They left the deck with quick strides, the wooden wall of the cabins blocking out the sight and sound above. But the sound of men screaming still rang in Shanks' ears. The doctor didn't say anything, and Shanks didn't ask. Both knew very well what was going on above.

The foolish crew had thought that they had caught Roger in their spider's web. But they hadn't realized one thing.

The doom that had been woven was not his, but their own.

* * *

_**Constructive criticism is very welcome! Any pointers will help me in my road to becoming a more well-rounded and mature writer. Reviews, as always, are much appreciated! Thank you for reading this chapter, and do leave a comment!**_

_**My finals are just around the corner, so the next chapter may come a little later. Please wait patiently, and wish me luck! And to those of you who are also having exams, good luck! :)**_

_**And while you wait, why don't you drop by my forum and/or check out my C2? Links can be found on my profile page. ;)**_


	29. The Walking Dead

_**I'm back! Are you happy to see me? With exams finally finished, fanfiction writing is back on track! On with it! Second last chapter of the set!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**The Walking Dead**

**30 – skeleton**

**Summary: The Roger Pirate apprentices were up to no good. And that spelled the whole crew's doom.**

The two Roger Pirate apprentices were up to no good. That was the only explanation to the fact that they were creeping through the hallways in the middle of the night without any form of light to guide their way.

Feeling along the walls and counting the doors, Buggy found the door to the kitchen and ducked in quietly. Shanks followed with equal stealth. Phase one of the mission: complete.

Now to execute Phase 2. Which involved copious amounts of flour for some (sinister) reason.

Strange, the set-up of the room seemed different from what he remembered the galley was like. But it was too dark to tell for sure. Perhaps he was just not in the section that he thought he was. Rather disorientated, Shanks felt along the walls until his hands encountered some cabinet of sorts.

Scuffling from the opposite side of the room indicated that Buggy was similarly having difficulties with his part of the task. Thankfully his eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness of the room, allowing him to see basic silhouettes.

"KYAAAA!"

"What's with that girlish scream? Shut it, you're going to get us caught." the red-haired boy tossed over his shoulder without looking at the other boy. Better grab the stuff they needed and hightail it out of there before someone came to investigate the noise. Damn that Buggy. After a while, he realized that the red-nose had strangely given no reply. Confused, he turned. "Buggy?"

Shanks was met with the very picture of Death.

Empty eye sockets on a skeletally thin face that was nothing but bones stared back at him evilly. The red-haired boy froze, hardly daring to breathe. How had such a monster gotten on board the Oro Jackson undetected!?

It took a long moment before he finally realized one important thing – they must have accidentally wandered into Crocus-san's infirmary, and that the 'monster' was nothing more than the doctor's plastic model skeleton.

"Hahahaha, you fell for it!" he couldn't see the other boy, but the mirth in Buggy's voice was unmistakable.

Shanks huffed, rather embarrassed. "You were the one who screamed like a girl, Buggy."

This time it was Buggy's turn to splutter. "I-Idiot! I was flashily pretending, of course!"

"Uh-huh." Shanks didn't believe him for a second.

"You wanna fight, flashy red-head?"

Shanks ignored him, "Well anyway, we're in the wrong room. Whose fault is that, eh? You obviously didn't count the doors right. Now we're in Crocus-san's inf…" His voice trailed off. After a short while, Shanks' face broke into a devilish grin that looked absolutely sinister in the limited lighting of the room. "Hey, Buggy, I have a new plan."

"Why do I have to go with your plan, you flashy idiot? What about my masterpiece?"

"Your plan failed from the moment you led us to the wrong room. Anyway, my plan is better. Just do it, Buggy."

"Don't wanna," was the miffed reply.

"You leave me with no choice." Shanks ominously unsheathed a sword.

"Oi, no need to take such flashy measures! Fine, I'll do it!"

Shanks grinned victoriously. "Now listen here. Detach your hand and put it here. Can you float it up properly? Good, now this is the plan…"

* * *

Their first victim was a poor unsuspecting crew member known as Peters.

Peters had been assigned the night watch along with Gaban on this fateful night. Gaban had taken to the crows-nest, leaving Peters to the deck. He yawned. The moon was half waned, the light provided by it mediocre at best, and the clouds did not help with visibility. But they did not expect to be attack in this largely deserted region, so it wasn't that bad. At least the low visibility would be a problem for any would-be enemies too.

Night watch was always boring. At least during the day one could be entertained by the antics of either their captain or the two cabin boys or all three. At night, there was no companion besides a skeleton standing in the middle of the deck…

Wait what was that!?

The moon retreated temporarily behind the clouds again, throwing the area into darkness. Peters squinted where he had seen the strange apparition.

The clouds shifted, gradually casting a glow over the deck. Which revealed a pair of empty eye sockets just a few inches from his face.

"GAAAHHHH!"

Hidden in the shadow of the cabins, two boys rolled on the floor, giggling silently with tears in their eyes. Recovering slightly, they sent each other victorious thumbs-ups.

* * *

Victim number two was the cook.

Old man Steele was a man that adhered to a very organized daily schedule. At 6 am, he woke, to spend half an hour getting ready for the day. Refreshed from his early morning routine, he would then head to the kitchen at 6.30 am to prepare breakfast for the ever-hungry crew. It was a time where the sun was just rising and would cast a faint glow in the galley.

Steele hummed as he headed for the galley that day. He had traded some recipes with Red Leg Zeff when they had by chance encountered the Cooking George a couple of days ago and was eager to try them out. He was thinking of testing out the other cook's pancake recipe, and a batch of walnut bread would go well with what he had planned for lunch.

There was already someone in his territory, sitting at the dining table. It wasn't a rare occurrence, the presence of someone who had either awoken early or been on the night watch and was hoping for a pre-breakfast snack.

It was a skeleton.

Bemused, he stared at it for a short while before turning away to grab eggs from the pantry. Strange. Had Crocus misplaced his plastic model skeleton?

The sound of movement and noisy clattering made him turn with mild irritation. Interrupting his work like that…he was tempted to deny whoever had entered the early snacks he would have handed out.

There was no one in the room. Save the skeleton, of course. It was still sitting motionlessly at the table. Steele tilted his head to one side. Hadn't it been in another chair before? Dismissing it as him not having paid much attention to it before, he turned back to the pancake batter.

After a while, the clattering started up again. He turned with a narrow-eyed glare. Again, the expected crew members were absent. Then he noticed something.

The skeleton _was_ in a different place from before. There was no doubt about it this time. It now had it back to him, having switched to the opposite side of the table from where it had been. Steele stared at it, perplexed. Skeletons didn't just move however they liked. Heck, skeletons did not move, period.

At least, that was what he thought, until its head turned sharply towards him at a completely unnatural angle, staring at him with expressionless eye-sockets.

"GAAAAHHHHH!"

* * *

The pranks were going swimmingly. Buggy's control over the skeleton was getting better and better, allowing them to pull more elaborate stunts.

Now they sat huddled together, plotting the doom of another unfortunate crew member.

"So who next? The captain?" Shanks mused.

"He's more flashily likely to ask it to join the flashy crew."

"…He would, wouldn't he? Master Rayleigh is out too, he wouldn't bat an eyelid."

The two boys looked at each other, out of ideas.

"So who's next?" a deep voice asked.

"I don't know, don't ask m- GAH, CAPTAIN!?"

Roger grinned, crouched behind the two boys. "I presume that the complaints I have been getting of a walking skeleton are thanks to you two troublemakers?"

The boys exchanged glances before turning to their captain with innocent expressions. "W-What skeleton?"

"No use pretending now, kids. I can see right through you."

Two sighs. Busted. "Yeah…"

"You know what this means, right?" Roger said sternly. The boys looked apprehensive. Until Roger's face broke into a huge mischievous grin that spelled doom for the rest of the crew. "I want in."

* * *

The doctor walked from the bunkroom to the infirmary, yawning lightly. There was a commotion going on above deck. Ignoring it, he entered the medical room. There weren't any gunshots or the like, so it wasn't likely to be an enemy attack. Anyway, someone would get him if he was needed.

His infirmary looked a little…messed up. It also looked rather emptier than usual, which was strange. His eyes swept through the room to identify what was missing. Ah. That.

The noise that sounded akin to screaming chickens was getting closer.

He opened the door just as a group of men dashed through the hallway, looking as if the devil was on their heels. Crocus climbed the steps up to the deck. "Has anyone seen my model skeleton?" he asked, oblivious to the chaos (or perhaps it was better to say that he was so used to it that he paid it no mind). No one heard him.

* * *

_**The poor, poor crew. What did Roger and the boys get up to? I'll let your imaginations do the work. :P**_

_**Please review!**_


	30. Forever and Ever

**_Countdown: 0 (throws confetti)_**

**_Oneshot number 30! I won't say much here, but do read the Author's Note at the end!_**

**_Enjoy! Warning: Take the content as you will, haha._**

* * *

**Forever and Ever**

**29 - proposal**

**Summary: Well, this was definitely a situation they had not expected when deciding to become a pirate.**

"Please, marry me!"

Silence. Stunned stares from all around. A cricket chirps.

"What the hell!?"

* * *

"Once upon a time, there was a brave pirate who sailed the seas along with his strong crew. They travelled far and wide, encountering adventures in the most unlike places. But one day, the crew arrived at an island, where a lady fell hopelessly in love with that dashing pirate and immediately proposed to him! Now it turned out that the lady holds considerable influence in the island, and thus the locals are extremely reluctant to let the pirate leave, not wanting their beloved lady to be sad. The situation soon escalated into a battle of wits between the lady and her reluctant intended husband. Now who will win, you may be wondering? No one knows yet! Place bets here on who you think will triumph in the end! My dear round friend over here will be collecting your-"

"You're not helping matters, Yasopp!" the subject of the story ground out as he passed the storyteller and his crowd of enraptured listeners.

The sniper just laughed, not in the least intimidated by his old friend's irritated tone. He winked at his audience, who were mostly made up of the crew and the odd townsfolk. As promised, Lucky Roo went around collecting the bets.

The aggravated man muttered something and chose to ignore them, heading up the stairs of the inn to the rooms. Reaching the first one, he knocked and entered. The single occupant of the room pointedly ignored his entrance.

"I told you, captain, I have no idea who that woman is."

At this, Shanks turned to glare at him balefully. Still, no reply was given, a sure sign of the captain's annoyance.

"You're being childish, Shanks. And you know it."

The captain pouted a little before sighing. "Fine, I believe you. But that still doesn't solve the problem. I'm not leaving my first mate behind. And the townspeople won't let us leave with you."

Benn ran a hand through his dark hair (which he was aware was greying rapidly, thank you very much) in frustration. "It's a real muddle, isn't it?"

Shanks rolled his eyes. "That's putting it lightly. And for the record, I'm completely innocent this time."

"Rare as it is, I'll have to give you that," a new voice piped out from the door as Yasopp poked his head into the room. "So, any solutions yet? If it helps, all of the crew placed bets on you."

Benn was about to say no to both cases, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shanks' face light up in sudden inspiration.

"As a matter of fact, I think I have just the thing. Yasopp, come in, we're gonna need your help in this."

* * *

"I really, really hope you know what you're doing."

"Come on, trust me. You do, don't you?"

"I would trust you with my life, but not my dignity," was the dry reply.

"…I'm not sure whether I should be flattered or insulted. Anyway, Yasopp is already putting the first part of the plan into motion, so we can't stop it even if we wanted to."

From the top of the staircase where the two were hiding in a less than elegant manner, they could faintly hear their sniper weaving another elaborate tale that was astonishingly believable. The master was at work, indeed.

Yet as he listened, Benn felt like banging his head against the wall. Or better yet, strangling his captain for cooking up this idea. "Why did I even agree to this?"

"Because you love me," was the cheeky reply.

The homicidal feeling doubled. He had used that phrasing on purpose, Benn knew. A glare. "You're awfully cheerful about this."

Shanks winked. "Anything for you, Benn."

"Stop it. Just… stop."

"But we haven't even started yet!" Shanks complained, but his dancing eyes belied the unhappy tone.

"…Then… at least save it for later."

A feminine voice cried out angrily. "You're a liar!"

Shanks' grin widened. "That's our cue! Let's get this show on the road. Get out there, Benn, I'll join you soon enough."

Benn grumbled something unsavory under his breath but allowed the captain to push him towards the staircase. Schooling his expression to a more neutral one, he walked down the staircase, trying not to look like a man about to meet his doom.

The moment he stepped into the taproom, he was assaulted by an enemy that he was helpless against. "Bennie! Tell me that it isn't true!" Snickers were heard all around as 'Bennie' fidgeted uncomfortably with the woman hanging off his arm.

Benn sighed and sat down at the bar without replying. The woman immediately sat beside him, pulling the barstool closer. A short way down the bar, Yasopp bit his lip to keep from laughing and gave Benn a thumbs-up as encouragement.

"One black coffee, Innkeeper," Benn called, ignoring the persistent woman for the moment. But he knew it was only a moment of time before he had to deal with her, especially since she was sticking to him like a leech. He sighed. Might as well have it over and done with. "What is it, Gloria?"

"This man," a finger was pointed at disdainfully at Yasopp's nose, "was spreading horrible rumors about you, dear. (Benn winced a little at the endearment, but she didn't seem to notice) But I don't believe anything that he said, of course."

"What type of rumors?" he asked, though he already knew the gist of it. Shanks had given Yasopp the basic structure and allowed the man free reign of his story-telling. Benn hoped that the sniper hadn't been too outlandish with his elaborations. But then, this was Yasopp they were talking about. Benn decided that he didn't want to know what the blond had said. He wished that Shanks would hurry up and execute his (self-proclaimed) great plan.

As if summoned, the red head appeared. Shanks always did have impeccable timing.

"Benn…" Shanks murmured sleepily as he stumbled into the taproom and promptly draped his arms over Benn's shoulders, hanging there like a limp ragdoll.

Gloria bristled at the sight of the captain, but kept silent. When Shanks didn't seem inclined to let go of _her man_, her expression grew more murderous by the second. Her heated glares would have cowed a lesser man, but Shanks was… well, he was the master of obliviousness and being thick-skinned. Thus, as it was, Shanks just smirked inwardly as he let out a yawn.

"Just woke up?" Benn's face was a picture of fond exasperation.

Shanks nodded in answer to the first mate's question, yawning again. Dazedly, he buried his face in the crook of Benn's neck. Benn jumped a little as Shanks' hair tickled his skin.

Gloria's glare multiplied tenfold.

Behind her, Yasopp had his lips pressed tightly together, his face going slightly red and his shoulders shaking. To his credit, he didn't make a sound.

Hidden by a curtain of hair, Shanks smirked, satisfied with his success in riling up the woman who dared to even think of stealing his first mate from him. Lifting his head, he propped his chin on Benn's shoulder. Casually, an arm reached over to the bar to grab Benn's cup of coffee. Taking a sip, he made a face. "I've never understood why you drink your coffee black."

"It's healthier than the sugary monstrosity that you drink."

"Mine tastes better," was the childish reply.

Benn just smiled. "Innkeeper, bring us another cup of coffee, will you? With milk and sugar. And whatever you have for breakfast today."

Shanks finally let go of Benn, slumping into the empty seat beside the first mate. He pouted. "I want rum."

Benn rolled his eyes. "You're not drinking alcohol this early, Shanks."

"Drunkard," Gloria muttered venomously. The sound of her voice made Shanks 'realize' that she was at the bar. He tilted his head to get a view of her, his face full of innocent surprise.

"Huh? Oh, you were there. What was your name again? Gory?"

Yasopp's face was turning purple.

Gloria's face matched his, though obviously for a different reason. "It's Gloria," she ground out between gritted teeth, glaring venomously at the captain.

"Oh, yeah! That was it." Shanks had mastered the air of supreme nonchalance, it would seem. (Modern language would call him the ultimate troll.)

Breakfast arrived, and Shanks bit into a piece of buttered toast. He tore off a bite-sized piece. "Have some, Benn, it's good. Say Ah~"

Benn shot Shanks a long-suffering look that told volumes about his thoughts of this whole charade. Shanks pouted and a silent conversation seemed to occur between captain and first mate that ended with Shanks successfully popping the piece of toast into the older man's mouth.

Gloria fumed, unhappy at being ignored. She leaned forward to attract Benn's attention again, but the dark-haired man didn't even spare her a glance.

"You have food on your face." Benn reached out a hand to wipe away a crumb from the red head's cheek. "For goodness sake, what am I going to do with you?"

"Oh come on, Benn, you know you love me," Shanks repeated his previous statement with no less audacity. This time, besides just exasperating Benn, it made Gloria gnash her teeth in obvious frustration.

Yasopp made a strangled sound that made all three of them look in his direction. He immediately burst into a fit of coughing. "J-Just swallowed the w-wrong way, don't mind me." He waved them off. Gloria returned her attention to Benn, but the captain's fake concerned expression almost ruined the sniper's already paper-thin control. Yasopp glared at the red-haired man reproachfully. The corners of Shanks' mouth twitched as he returned to the show that must go on.

Benn seemed to have matters well in hand, though.

"I'm not staying, Gloria."

"B-But…"

"Gloria, be mature about this."

"But…" she whined.

"Gloria."

The woman spared a hate-filled glare at Shanks. "Why would you want to stay with this… this boorish imbecile!?" she spat.

The moment that left her lips, she knew that she had said the wrong thing.

The temperature of the room seemed to drop several degrees. "I don't appreciate you insulting my captain, Gloria," Benn said in a chilling tone that surprised even Shanks. "I have tolerated a lot from you for the past few days. But this went one step too far. I will say it one last time. I will not leave him."

The woman's face was pale, shaking slightly at his uncharacteristic coldness. Her face scrunched up. "I… I hate you!" Gloria ran out of the inn in tears.

The rest of the crew, the only ones left in the inn besides the innkeeper, gaped at the door that slammed shut behind her. No one moved – or even dared breathe, really – for a long moment.

Yasopp broke the silence with slow meaningful applause, grinning at Shanks and Benn. "Well, you two… What I can say? Good show."

"Wait, what's going on?" The majority of the crew's attention swiveled to the sniper, still perplexed about what had just happened.

"What's going on, you ask?" Yasopp laughed. "My dear friends, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to relinquish my position as World's Greatest Actor to our dear captain and first mate." He let the information sink in.

The crew gaped for a while before erupting with laughter and cheers. "Nicely played, Okashira!"

"You had me fooled for a while there!" someone called out from the crowd with a whistle. Choruses of agreement rose.

"You know, the best part of it that none of the actions looked out of place. It was just like a normal morning aboard the Force," Yasopp teased. "I hardly had to embellish the tale at all."

"Are you trying to imply something, Yasopp?"

"Why, not at all, captain," the sniper feigned innocence.

Shanks rolled his eyes before turning to the rest of the crew. His face broke into a grin. "Well, what are you still waiting for? We're getting out of here!"

* * *

"Hey, Benn…"

"What is it, Shanks?" the dark-haired man asked as his captain came to lean against the railing with him. The redhead looked pensive as he gazed out at the rapidly shrinking outline of the island they had just left.

"You'll never leave me, right? You'll always stay by my side?"

Benn grinned and playfully tousled the other man's hair as if he were still the teen that he had been when they first met. Shanks pouted at the treatment. Benn's eyes were warm. "I'll never leave you, idiot. After all," Benn couldn't help but tease a bit, "what would you do without me?"

Shanks smiled at the reassurance and started to retort in kind but was cut off by a commotion in the middle of the deck.

"The boss proposed and Benn accepted!" a voice that was unmistakably Yasopp's yelled.

"Oi, Yasopp!" Shanks squawked out indignantly as the men hooted.

Leaning against the railing, Benn just laughed. It didn't matter what others said, or what obstacles came their way. All the mattered was that he was standing beside his captain, as he always had been since their fateful meeting almost ten years ago. He was standing there… As he always would be.

* * *

_**Five words describe my feelings now: What did I just write? XD Is it shonen-ai, or is it not? Well… You can decide.**_

_**On happy (or unhappy) news, this officially ends my 30_onepiece challenge! (feels very proud of self) I hope that you all enjoyed the journey. I know I did!**_

_**Since this is that last chapter, may I request that you lurkers out there (I know you're there) leave a review this time? A simple one will do, I just want to know which chapter you liked best! Anonymous reviews are fine too! Looking forward to hearing from you!**_

_**To my regular reviewers, thank you so much for supporting me all the way, and I am looking forward to reading your reviews this time as well! Love you all! Do also include which chapter you liked best!**_

_**Till next time! You haven't seen the last of me yet! See you around!**_


End file.
